Metroid Dread
by CCM30
Summary: Samus has taken out the X and the Biologic Space Labs along with it. The Galactic Federation is after her. The Space Pirates are on her tail. Her only hope is the last remnants of the ancient Chozo. Will they who saved her life once before do it again?
1. Prologue I

**Prologue I**

_My life was already destined to be that of destruction. Everyone has a purpose. Mine was to protect that of others and destroy that of the rest. I never got the luxury of others. I could never love. I could never be loved. Emotions cloud my duty and my duty distracts from my emotions. I feel nothing. I see only what is needed. I do not remember. I do not recall. I do look into my future. I already know what it is. Only the same I've gone through before. The only difference is that now I'm on my own. Then again, I always was. The only thing I have is my shadow and, at times, I even doubt that. My only partner is my gun. My only lifeline is my armor. My only goal is to kill. Kill so others won't. So others won't be killed. A vicious circle it is. But someone has to do it. That's my purpose._

The elevator shuddered to a stop. The cold room only added to the anxiety and stress that was riddled through my body. The air was still: stale even. I felt like I was passing through the ruins of an ancient city. Everything felt dead and chilling. A freezing spike of pain slammed through my spine as I stepped off the platform. My body wasn't ready, but my mind was made up. This had to be done.

The room was oddly shaped. I walked through doors that brought me into the empty area. Only a few short platforms railed with a gritty silver polish sat in the middle of the room, followed by two hallways that led to chrome doors. Doors that were clearly out of operation. Great. More time wasted. I made jumping onto the platforms look too easy. I could barely feel my feet drop onto the steel flooring. I repeated the same motion onto the highest alcove.

My objective was clear: crash this heap of metal into the planet's surface. The station I had been exploring for what seemed like forever became a shell of what it once was. Years ago, it was full of discovery and imagination. Scientists worked endlessly throughout the day, experimenting with the latest of GF technology. No one would forget the consistent news updates on how the men at the GF Laboratories made another great achievement in the world of science.

Now, it is nothing more than a dead, lifeless ship, cruising through the barren wasteland we humans call Outer Space. The damned X Parasites have sucked the life out of everything. They need to be stopped. I'll take this station down with me if it means ridding the galaxy, the universe...of this menace.

But, it was different this time. I wouldn't be award with praise and adulation on my return home. I have no home now. My only home is space. Now, my home is the battlefield. I've always lived on the battlefield. The GF has always been behind me; sending me weaponry and ammunition and life-support. Not anymore. I've destroyed their chances of getting the X and, more importantly, the SA-X's that are infecting this station more and more by the second. The GF is full of idiots. They don't know the extent of the damage this evil can cause. They haven't experienced what they can do. They haven't experienced anything. I'm the only one that can live to tell the tale. Even the soldiers at Norion, including the ones who lost their lives to the sick Dark Samus and the pirates, don't know the hell I've lived through to see this day.

Of course, as luck would have it, bad luck to be exact, the doors wouldn't open to the best of my efforts. Followed by that was the sudden force of the far wall collapsing. Metal and steel was ripped off and fire plumed from the whole. I had to move quick. _It_ was back.

Mercilessly, it began to fire at me. It's arm cannon shot a quick lance of green plasma, shredding the air it raced through. The atmosphere popped and cracked as the wave rocketed towards me. In a flash, I rolled out of the way. My morph ball bounced off the platform and onto the ground with a thud. I quickly jumped back to my feet. My gaze was stolen by the dreadful figure before me.

It was like looking in a mirror. It's armor was what I wore. It's weapons were what I used. It's visor gleamed the same way mine did. It was essentially my clone. A different kind of clone. It had no soul. I could see it, even past the tinted visor it wore. It's eyes were without a pupil. It would be a horrific sight had I seen it. The slight pause gave me more than I needed. It also gave the SA-X time. Time to ready it's plan. Time to ready it's victory. It was time to kill.

It's arm cannon shifted around, parts moved back and forth, and the barrel changed shape. All I remember seeing is a build-up of a blue gas begin to slowly funnel out of the gun before a shot of ice exploded at me. My armor repelled the frozen shot with ease, but I felt the pressure. My body rattled in the armor, no matter how tight it was on my skin. I tried to take the blast by moving myself with it, but that only took me off balance. My foot whirled back and kept me up, but I was taken back again by another shot. The SA-X was firing closer and closer at my head. I needed to fall back.

My only cover was being able to occupy a different level of the room than the SA-X. It continued to fire from the bottom floor, but I made it to one of the platforms higher up. Ice shattered against the bottom of the platform. I quickly caught my breathe and reached my arm over the side. My cannon released several shots of the power beam at it. The SA-X continued to fire as if I had never shot. The beam reflected off its armor and buzzed into the walls and ceiling. Burnt marks scattered the room as more and more of my shots were flung away.

I brought my arm back and pressed buttons as quickly as my fingers could dance across them. I was afraid I was putting incorrect orders into the arm cannon because of how fast I was pressing them. Finally, the crevices of the cannon glowed a neon green and the barrel became almost like the muzzle of a sniper rifle. I once again reached around the side and fired. This time, however, the SA-X fell back while the plasma ripped into its armor. It jumped back, mirroring my Screw Attack. A green lightning encased it while it somersaulted. It's feet didn't even fully touch the floor before it jumped at me again, firing more of the icy concoction from its gun.

More and more plasma burst from my gun, continuing to damage the SA-X. Its visor cracked, the cannon dented, the armor chipped. The SA-X was slowly winding down. It's shots became less frequent and less accurate. It took barely any effort to dodge its attempts at hurting me. Finally, I came out of cover to find the SA-X reeling. On one of its knees, the SA-X's chest grew and shrank at a rapid pace. Even through my helmet I could hear it breathing heavily. Its head was hung low, as was its limbs. I would be surprised if it had any energy to fight back.

But, I was wrong. Wrong in every sense of the word. The SA-X lifted from the floor. It began to grow and sprout the strangest appendages. A huge cluster of eyes replaced where its visor once was. Razor-sharp teeth became visible as a huge mouth opened. The jaw was easily big enough to swallow me whole. Its boots became three-toed feet that gripped the floor with immense claws. A bumpy, blistery tongue snaked out of its mouth and shot out at me. It grabbed my left arm and began to pull me in. My right arm sprang forward and burnt a hole in the fleshy tongue with the heat of the sun. Plasma shredded the monsters tongue, forcing it to let me free.

The SA-X sprung from the floor. A large shadow developed above me, growing bigger as the monster fell to the ground. I recovered into the morph ball and boosted out of the way. Its feet made craters in the floor on impact. It turned to find me latching onto the wall, firing more plasma at its ugly mug.

I saw that its skin was beginning to melt and that made me want to fire more. I charged up another round and let loose a bolt of heat and energy at the creature. As I watched my shot fly through the air, I began to lose my grip. My hand slipped from the wall. I tried to buffer my fall by slowing down against the wall, but the weight of my armor didn't give in to my efforts. I fell with extensive power and was stunned. Just wonderful. Now it had a clear shot at me.

It didn't. The cloud of dust that engulfed me cleared and gave me a look at the SA-X once more. I saw its skin continue to melt, but it did nothing to fight back. It let out a horrible shriek in pain. The SA-X fell to the floor, its knees collapsing and feet being crushed by the rest of the body. It let out one more growl before dieing a quick death. I mulled over it if was still alive. I decided not to do anything. If it still was alive, I'll let it suffer.

I never made any attempt in getting up. I sat in relief before the monster. Yet, I still noticed the icy blue glow that shown through its wounds. Flashes of light glowed from the body. There was still something there. The fight wasn't over. This station would have to wait. There is still more to come.


	2. Prologue II

**Prologue II**

_Space is the home of unearthly beings. Makes sense, considering earth-like planets make up less than .1% of the universe. Still, the things I've seen have been dreadful. I've had nightmares. Night-terrors. I've grown out of them, however. Maybe not "grown-out of them", per say, rather, became used to them. Immune to them. They are simply dreams now. I just drown them out. It's sad, really. To think that am I essentially lifeless. I have no emotion. I have no dreams. I have no future. My future is to only end that of others. It's a horrible feeling. Then again, I wouldn't know. I don't feel anymore._

I couldn't shake the feeling that it was looking at me. I couldn't even tell if it had the ability to look. It blinked like an eye. It moved like an eye. I just hoped that was all it could do. Still, I had to stay focused. I had encountered these things before: large, X-Parasites encased in a hard outer-shell. More recent variations have shown me that these eye-like formations can not only look around, but fire energy, as well Just what I needed. More problems.

The parasite began to float off the floor. The eye blinked rapidly as spikes grew around the shell. A blue tint lit up the shell that surrounded the bold purple of the parasite inside. I quickly tapped at the inputs on my cannon, causing my gun to once again shift in all different ways. The barrel became that of the missile launcher. The same icy-blue gas rose from the muzzle. A bitter cold spread up my arm. I tapped my cannon and it sprang to life. Neon blue coursed throughout the gun. The barrel turned clockwise, counterclockwise, then clockwise again. It was ready to fire. I was ready to fight. And, from the looks of it, that ugly beast in front of me was ready as well.

It shut its eye for a good few seconds before opening it up quickly and releasing a shower of blue energy, similar to the green waves the SA-X spewed beforehand. It had a more ballistic look to it, almost like they hid bullets inside them. I wouldn't doubt it. A hit from one of those shots certainly felt like being it by a bullet.

Still, I had very little time to think. A rally of shots flew towards me as the bubble floated around the room. The missile in my cannon charged. Frozen air gushed from its vents. Finally, the ice missile rang out of the cannon. The force was so great, it took me back a step. The rocket spun in the air and crashed into the shell. Bits of ice exploded in every direction. I began to charge another shot, but my mind was focused on the pulsating eye. It almost had me in a trance. I could feel it getting inside me.

There was no cover against a flying opponent. The platforms that gave me shelter against the SA-X were barely obstacles for the flying parasite. Every time I tried to hide from it, the bastard would zing around and get me in its sights. In its sights, I was a clear shot for another one of its eye beams. I wasn't taking damage, but I was slowly become tired. Taking on the SA-X twice and now this thing was bringing me to my breaking point. I had to end this. Time was of the essence.

The parasite began to pick up speed. It looped around and raced towards me, beams of energy continued to be fired from its crazed eye. The beams became wider and more profound. The rate at which they were fired was also increasing. This wasn't helping the fact that I was getting tired. Rest was not an option, however. As luck would have it, I could never rest. Not until the job was done.

Another missile flew from my gun. It soared through the air. The missile connected. A direct hit. The rocket punctured the white pupil of the parasite and ripped through its insides. The shell shattered as the missile broke out of the other side.

The shell began to die, as if it were a light bulb and the off switch was flipped. Yet, the gooey body of the parasitic being inside slipped out and reformed into the common blob form X-Parasites are known for. The weird thing was, it seemed different than all the other parasites I've seen. There was no eye anymore, but I swear, it was looking at me with that same gaze. Unlike the other creatures, it didn't try to escape my grasp. Still, I couldn't seem to grab it. Parasites were usually absorbed into my armor when I got to a certain distance, but this one was able to outrun my suit's pull. After buzzing around for a few moments, it slipped through a crack in the wall. In a flash, it was gone. Where it went was anyone's guess.

Suddenly, the lights flickered on and rings of light sparked on. The doors let out odd clanks as they came to life. Shadows became more apparent than before. Mine didn't feel like my own. I stared at it, but it didn't stare back. The parasite did, but this didn't. I must have been crazy, thinking it could look back at me. It was a shadow for god's sake. Was I losing my mind?

No. No time to think about it. Time to act. Time to put this right. Time to send this station...and the X...packing.


	3. Prologue III

**Prologue III**

_I've never thought about it, but in reality, I've never had any allies. My only allies were offices who sat in the comfort of their commanding chairs, sending out others to die instead of themselves. Because of this, the situation I am in doesn't feel any different now. There may actually be benefits to this. Now, my wrath...my anger....my power....will not discriminate between allies and enemies. Everyone is my enemy, now. Whether it be a Space Pirate or a GF trooper, they are all targets. I don't have to consider who I'm shooting, because they aren't considering me. It's basic self-defense. They want me dead. I just have to kill them before they get to me. It's that simple._

Green lights lit up the control room. The chrome door slid closed behind me. I felt a ghostly aura in the room, but all that was there was a control module and a window looking into the depths of space. My felt my heart drop when I saw the planet come into my view. SR-388. It too was a part of my nightmares. SR-388 is what caused all of this. If anything is to blame, this rock is.

SR-388 was the home planet of the Metroids, a life-sucking organism with the consistency of a jellyfish, yet the madness of a bull. They were the top predators of the planet, nearly killing off everything in sight to feed themselves. That is, until I arrived. My goal was simple: kill every last Metroid. My mission was a complete success. Every last one of them died...except one. That infant Metroid was attached to me. I couldn't kill it. I probably would have now...but back then, I still had something left in my heart.

However, with the Metroids gone, the rest of the planet began to come back to life, including their main prey, the X-Parasites. SR-388 became ridden with them. We didn't know it until a short time ago, when I went back to the planet with researchers and encountered them. I almost lost my life to the infection, barely escaping death thanks to DNA from that same infant Metroid.

My life changed from that point on. I had become what I had always been against. I was part Metroid now. My body can't take ice like the Metroids. Yet, I can still absorb the parasites in the same manner. I have become something different. Maybe that is what took my soul away. The Metroid in me sucked it right out of my heart. Frankly, I'd rather be more of what I am now than what I used to be.

Finally, the module before me sprang to life. I pull levers, pushed buttons, tapped mechanisms. Numerous letters slid across the LCD screen before me. It wasn't before long that an ear piercing alarm went off. The large monitor above my head, formerly only reading the words "Operations Room", lit up with "Orbit Change Implemented. 3 Minutes To Impact". The room began to shake and rattle. Metal pipes rang as little bolts shook inside them.

The chrome doors swung up once more as I rushed out into the empty room again. The hole in the opposing wall certainly looked tempting for my escape, but I didn't want to risk it being a dead-end...or taking me in the complete opposite direction. I flew across the room, shooting the door on the other end open. My feet slid across the floor as I landed and I found myself skidding to a halt at the elevator platform. The elevator seemed to take its time as it slowly dropped down the shaft. I impatiently tapped my foot as the elevator lowered to the bottom floor.

The station became a blur to me as I ran down each hallway, stopping short only to come across a drop to lower levels. My suit turned on the boost ability, making my running speed increase tenfold. Crates shattered as I rushed through them like a hot knife through butter. My running, however, was cut off by the destroyed terrain the last segment of corridors presented. Large foot prints covered the floor. It seemed like something large had ripped out chunks of the ceiling, as well. I was pretty sure the monster hadn't done this. It seemed dead before. It was still dead when I left the Operations Room. Did the other SA-X's transform as well? Hell, there could be a dozen of the monsters! I needed to get off this hellhole now.

Finally, I reached the docking bay. Damaged doors that read BSL, short for Biologic Space Lab, were sealed shut, except for the last bay, where my ship was headed. I had little time, but thankfully, my new ship would arrive shortly. All I had to do was wait. I walked with ease to the last door. A glistening yellow caught my eye. My head turned and gave me sight of a gooey, skin-like substance lying on the ground. It looked like a mound of yellow mold, but I figured I'd just leave it. Unfortunately, what left it there wasn't going to do the same for me.

I didn't even have time to take a break. Silly me. I could never take breaks. This thing certainly wouldn't let me. It crashed to the ground so quickly I barely saw it coming. It almost resembled the SA-X monster I fought before, but it had a different look to it. Then, I remembered. It's an Omega Metroid. The moronic GF had been studying and growing Metroids in the restricted area of this station. I recall seeing some data on these things. They are the top of the Metroid food chain. If there is any Metroid to be afraid of, it would be this beast.

My HUD told me I had 11 full energy tanks left. Only a few moments later did it read all of them empty. The Omega Metroid slashed at me with the force of an oncoming bus. I soared across the bay and slammed against a wall. The wind was knocked right out of me. I gasped for air, clutching my chest and fell to the ground. The Omega Metroid had beaten me. I was finished. This was it. The Metroid jumped around like a boxer, raising its claws up and down and letting out an unearthly scream. Drool dripped from its large jaw. It slowly lumbered towards me, but it suddenly stopped halfway. Come on, finish me, I thought. Take me out of my misery. Pain was riddled throughout my body. I couldn't take it. Still, the Metroid still stood there.

Out of the corner of my eye, that same blue parasite that escaped me before flew into the room. It bopped around for a few moments before stopping and starting to form something else. Dropping to the ground was the SA-X. Perfect. The Omega Metroid had a buddy now. But, it didn't attack me. It attacked the beast before it. Razor ice shredded the Metroid's abdomen. It continued to charge up shots and damage the monster. However, the monster had enough and clawed at it. The parasite went back to its blob form, but then came towards me. I found the strength to stand up and lunged at it.

It was something I had never experienced before. Normal parasites gave me a slight tingle when I absorbed them. This one was different. I felt it coat my spine, slide down my blood stream, pour into my brain. My suit transformed before me. My Varia Suit was back. All my upgrades were back. All my energy was back. My HUD flickered on. Full energy tanks and ammo counters appeared. This wasn't over yet.

I landed on the ground and quickly rolled towards the Metroid. It roared and swiped at me, but its attempts were futile. Ice beam shots burst at its chest. Blood splattered on my suit as I sent more and more ice into its wounds. I jumped back and quickly switched to the ice missiles and sent frozen rockets propelling at it. The Omega Metroid lashed out at them, but a few connected. Chunks of flesh fell from its body. Another missile smacked it in the head. It twisted its neck fatally with the blow. Almost in slow motion, the Metroid spun and dropped to the floor with a earth-shaking thud.

As I mulled it over, I not only hoped that my problems were over, that another opponent would show, but I was also stressed as the planet got closer. Fire began to build up around the station as my ship pulled into the bay. It was different than my old ship. It was an odd purple with claw-like wings. Still, it was all I had left. The tractor beam pulled me into the cockpit and I hit every input I could. The thrusters burnt and I soared out of the bay.

My ship slowed as I tried to get a view of the station. It fell like a meteor to the surface of SR-388 and a mushroom cloud bloomed out into space with bubble of fire at the bottom. I took myself away from the spectacle and moved far away. Far away enough to be able to relax. To concentrate. I was now on my own. The GF was after me. The pirates were surely concocting something. I needed a plan. I needed something. This was the end. The end of galactic peace. The end of tranquility. I had to put an end to this. I had to survive. At all costs.


	4. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

_I've realized more and more that the GF were nothing more than idiots right from the start. They sent me to eradicate the Metroids back on SR-388, yet insisted on secretly breeding the species themselves. Would I call it corruption? I would be justified in doing so. I've been corrupted more than once. I've almost lost my life twice to some damned infection, whether it be dark or X or whatever. It just seems like no one can be trusted. I still doubt Adam at times. For all I know, he could be still in communication with them. That's the thing, I don't know. I don't know a god damn thing. That's how they want to keep it. That's how it needs to stay....Here's a little message to them: things change._

The jets flared, propelling my craft into the bleak darkness of space. The BSL station hurdled towards the atmosphere. I did my best to keep an eye on it. I was almost paranoid that something would rocket away from it. Maybe one of those SA-X trying to exact its revenge...no, they are all dead. The impact had to kill them. Them and the rest of the X. All of them. They had to die. I didn't know how else to kill them if this didn't. Still, I figured it would be best to relax my mind. There was a lot going through it. The last thing I needed was to freak out. I was always known for keeping my cool in the heat of a situation, but I've been doing that for years. Things aren't the same as they used to be.

Back when I first became a hunter for the Federation, I remember being fueled by my hatred of Ridley and the pirates. I couldn't get past the death of my parents. The K-2L massacre still haunts me to this day. Out of all the things I've bottled up inside, that don't bother me anymore...that incident is the only one that still makes me sick. That was my only motivation at the time. It wasn't about the bounty or prestige. It was about killing those who hurt me. Who killed off the rest of my colony. My friends...my family...all dead. I put it in my head that they deserved all the pain I could unleash on them.

One of my Chozo mentors, Gri'eln, told me as a child, "Spilling blood does not solve problems. It only creates more." As a hunter, it was our duty to spill blood. Spilling blood was my job, my mission, my duty. I always kept it in the back of my head, even though I continued to do what I did. Now, it never rings in my mind like it used to. The Chozo left in me something I don't use anymore: love. They cared. They brought me in as their own. The only reason I had love in my heart for as long as I did is because of them. With it gone, I feel empty. I want to keep the Chozo with me...I just can't. All I have left of them is this armor. This cursed armor.

I'm not a hunter anymore. All the morals I was taught, all the missions I've completed, all the rewards I've gotten...they all mean nothing. The Federation is corrupt. They have tasted power and now they want more. They'll become exactly like the Pirates: they have found a power source and will exploit it until it takes control of them. I damn well knew the Pirates didn't want Phazon to be used that way. They aren't stupid. It got out of control. The GF is doing the same thing with this X. They just don't know it yet. I have the opportunity to stop this before it begins. I didn't have that oppurtunity with them at Tallon IV.

At cruising speed, my ship was one of the millions of tiny bodies moving in that pocket of the universe. Meteors and comets of all different shapes and sizes flew by me. Ice broke off and streamed behind these rocks, forming magnificent tails. Mine was the only one without one, being clearly different from the rest with its odd shape and color scheme.

My mind began to flounder again. The Chozo kept reappearing. Images of my training at Zebes flashed before my eyes. I even remembered when Old Bird, Grey Voice, and the others rescued me after the K-2L events. I owed my life to them and I made sure they knew that. Their kindness was extraordinary. More images of the Chozo appeared before I shook my head to rid them of stealing my concentration. In the past, I had experienced the same routine of images and they always seemed to generate a tear from my eyes. My tear ducts are dry now. No tears will be shed for anything.

To be completely honest, I had no idea what to do next. I had no destination and no means of completing anything. I couldn't take on the Pirates without some sort of backup and my only backup is now on searching for me as a hostile threat. I couldn't even begin to understand the hole I was in.

"Are you alright, Lady?"

The monotonous, computerized voice was music to my ears. Adam had become more personal as our mission went on back on the BSL Lab, especially after finding that he was essentially the same Commanding Officer I had once served under. He still had that cheeky, sarcastic personality I had grown on. He was all I had left now. At this point, I would take any help I could get, so I was glad he was there for me.

"Yeah. I'm fine."

I proceeded to remove my helmet. Oxygen rushed out immediately after taking it off. I could barely move it away from my head before all the gas burst out of the chamber. I spun in my chair and put my back towards the main control panel. Not much of a sight was the back end of the ship, but it would have to do. I knew Adam was looking at me with a trained eye. He always had been, even if he didn't literally have an eye to see with. Just him being there comforted me, but not in the way a teddy bear is to a young child. Comforting in knowing I don't have to watch my back all the time.

"Don't be coy. I can tell how you feel by every word you say. You should know this by now, Samus."

I turned back around and faced him with not a hint of an expression on my face.

"What do we do now, Adam? Any suggestions?"

Adam mulled it over. His response was delayed. He was either truly thinking it out or he didn't know what to say. I was hoping for the former.

"I think you've been in tougher situations, Lady. You'll figure it out."

"Tougher situations? Adam, have you been paying attention to the last few days? We are on the run! We aren't exactly walking down easy street anymore."

"Were we ever walking down this easy street, Lady?"

He had a point. Life was never easy for me and it certainly was never easy for him. He had issues of his own. He wasn't just some computer system. He still retained the memory of his human life and that probably haunted him as my past haunted me. Still, this wasn't something I could take lightly. I knew he wasn't, but I never got past that collected tone he was programmed with.

"Adam, I-"

"Samus. I am completely aware of the situation. I promise you. We will get through this. Come on, you are Samus Aran. Galactic Bounty Hunter. Protector of peace and tranquility in the galaxy!"

"You never quit pushing my buttons, do you?"

"Not in the slightest, Lady, not in the slightest."


	5. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

_The Space Pirates are a curious bunch they are. These aliens seem like something out of a horror movie. Sometimes they have claws. Others have pinchers. The rest are just something else. I can't even begin to explain how strange they are. Still, their strangeness doesn't justify their cruelty. They stop at nothing to get what they want. I've beaten them down again and again. I've shot their flesh, I've spilt their blood, I've broken their bones. They just keep coming back. Especially that Ridley. Every time it seems to die, it comes back. I don't know what to do anymore. He'll be looking for me. I know him well enough. We've grown on each other._

It let out a snarl that rang in its comrade's earholes. Mandibles opened and closed as it quickly turned its head. Its partner walked towards the other, its head moving with quick motions like the head of a bird. The dark eyes of both of the aliens blinked rapidly, trying to focus in on the object before them. The yellow goo cringed and flinched on the ground. One of them poked it with its claw. The substance latched onto it, but began to weaken. It fell to the floor with a slushy thud and plopped into a blob again. One of its edges reached out, almost like an arm, but couldn't get much farther than a few inches before retracting back.

The dieing X was only a minuscule part of the wreckage. Space Pirates scoured the crash site, searching every little bit of the carnage with sensing devices and scoping technology. Twisted metal was littered across the bottom of the crater. Splotches of X was common , as well. The Pirates walked through it, scanning every inch of the site. They were looking for something and it was pretty clear what they wanted. They needed a clue. Not only to my whereabouts, but to what caused the infection of some of their soldiers.

"Bag those parasites up. Send them to Science Team stat."

Veron was a commanding officer in the Space Pirate army. The commander was always on the field. If there was a battle, he was in it. If there was an exploration mission, he was sent on it. Many called him the closest being next to Ridley in the army. That's why many of the Pirates wondered why he was always on the field and not with the dragon himself. Still, he wasn't one to question. He wasn't noticeable by battle scars or lost limbs, but rather, his claws. Veron had gone under voluntary experimentation when the first of the Elites were fused with Phazon. He was one of the few that rejected the specimen. How that was possible was unclear, but the rejection wasn't completely successful. His claws grew to an immense size. Before Phaaze was destroyed, his claws had veins of Phazon running through them. Now, those bumps and distinguished capillaries were dead, blackened tissue.

I had encountered him before. Only once, but it was enough. When Ridley raided K-2L, he was alongside him. He didn't do anything. He just stood there. It was an odd sight. Out of all the Pirates there, who were all destroying the colony, he just stood there. His gaze shot right through me. He was thinking. What he was thinking was not of my concern at the time and still isn't to this day. However, the more and more I try to convince myself of that, it still keeps coming back in my mind.

"Sir, yes sir!"

Veron nodded to the Pirate and turned. Before him was like everything else around him: more wreckage. He gave some signals with his claw, gaining a response from three other Pirates. His scaly feet stamped on the burnt ground as he made his way towards his ship. Even though these Pirates were the scum of the universe, they were by no means idiots. They were intelligent, crafty and artistic. That artistic side was shown in their spacecraft. Veron's ship, Absolute, was a marvelous creation. It had a gothic look to it. Almost like it was created by gods.

The hatch clicked open and the door slowly landed on the ground. Pistons slid down steel poles, granting Veron access into the craft. His claws clanked against the steel. His head kept forward as he made his way through the grand ship. Pirates of all different shapes and sizes move throughout in a steady pace. Jet-pack wielding Pirates flew through the rooms, making adjustments to anything and everything.

The final door slid open. The room was empty, except for all the gadgetry in it. Control panels and computer screens riddled the far wall. He made his way towards them. Sitting down on his commanding chair, he clicked away at the buttons before him. Suddenly, a panel on the ceiling cracked open and an enormous screen descended before him. Blue light flashed through the blackness of the screen. Static streamed across it.

"Computer, open Intercom Channel V-24."

"As you wish, sir."

This computer wasn't like Adam. He...it didn't have a personality. This one was as monotonous and computerized as any other computer. How someone could interact with it for long periods of time was beyond me. I'd go crazy hearing that same tone relentlessly.

"This better be good, Veron."

The message was coupled with the screen fading to a new image. A video streaming. A menacing figure was posed before him. It's eyes glowed a bright yellow. It's brown skin looked leathery. Claws curled from its digits. A long muzzle filled with razor-sharp teeth hid an intimidating tongue and a bottomless gullet.

"It is, sir, it is. We've managed to recover some GF tech from the crash site."

"Veron, I am not interested in what the humans are using. We have more than enough of theirs."

"Yes...more importantly, we've discovered remains of the X."

"...Very good, Veron, as always. Get that-"

"We have already sent it to Science Team. They should have the specimens shortly."

'I see. Good work. Keep me updated."

The channel switched off. The screen faded back to the bleak black and rose up into the ceiling again. Veron got up from the chair, spun on his heel and made his way back outside. Veron casually walked out of the ship, the door rising up into the craft behind him. Pirates began to dug into the ground and sift more and more into the wreckage. Salutes graced Veron while he walked by.

Thoughts of Ridley raced through his mind. Ridley had always been like a partner to him. He know that Ridley was superior to him, but he never felt it. He knew how Ridley treated the rest of his troops. It was almost like he cared. To some extent, Veron cared for Ridley, as well. They had known for each other for decades. Their relationship became more of a friendship rather than some connection the military made between them

His attention, however, was grabbed by a waving Pirate. Yelps and growls got into Veron's ears. He quickly turned and ran towards the soldier. The Pirate continued to move metal and iron away from his finding as Veron made his way towards him. Happy snarls left his throat as the digging continued. Veron reached him as the Pirate singled out his find.

"What is it, soldier?"

"Take a look at this, Commander. I think it may be some sort of armor."

Veron snatched it from his claw. His eyes peered at the orange substance before him. It was as hard as diamonds, yet a bit flexible. Veron ripped a small device from a band strapped to his hip and put it between his eyes and the object. A transparent screen folded out of the device. A green mapping came across it as information popped up left and right. One circular bit of info expanded and covered the screen.

"Substance identified as of Chozo origin. Not enough material to determine use, specific area of origin and date of creation."

He didn't need those last bits of information. He knew exactly what it was. It was unmistakable. The Pirate before him got up on his feet as Veron strapped the device back on his hip. He still, however, stared at the object. His gaze was permanently frozen on it.

"Sir, do you know what it is?"

"Go get Ridley on the main line."

"What should I tell him?"

"Tell him...tell him the Hunter was clumsy. She left a bit of herself behind."


	6. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

_Soon after I took out the Pirates at Zebes, I was called upon to respond to a distress signal being sent out by a lone frigate. As it turned out, the Pirates were aboard it, concocting malicious experiments utilizing a species of creatures found on a planet I began to know as Tallon IV. 3 long weeks passed before I reached the Impact Crater and killed Metroid Prime. I never knew Phazon would become such a nuisance. Even so, I also didn't know that I'd return to the fated planet. Without Phazon, I had no idea what it would look like...if it were there at all._

Covers rolled off the top of the mattress. Only a few barely covered me. Wrapped in fleece nightwear, I rolled over on my side and faced the far side of the room. My sight was still engulfed in darkness while dreams floated around my mind. None of them stuck out more to me than the image of a robed bird. A Chozo. It's beak moved, but I didn't hear what it was saying. It just kept talking. The more and more I tried to listen, the closer I got to waking up.

Finally, my eyes popped open. The room was as dark as I had left it when I went to sleep. With no intention of turning any lights on, I clumsily made my way into the bathroom. The bright lights made me cringe like a vampire walking into sunlight. I just stood there as my eyes tried to readjust to the sudden burst of light shining in my pupils.

Mornings were never my thing. The later I woke up, the better. Even if I slept late, it still wasn't enough. My alarm clock said it was around noon, but my head read it as telling me to go back to sleep. I knew it wasn't going to happen. Adam would have me up if I even thought of falling into the trance of sleep. Still, I made it worse on myself by laboring with my actions. I brushed my teeth at such a slow rate, it almost seemed pointless. Combing my hair became a chore. My eyelids felt like they had weights on the ends of them.

"Are you up, Lady?"

"You monitor my room. What do you think?"

"Your quarters are personal...no matter how much I look at what you are doing."

"Right."

I plopped down on the chair before the main control inputs and the huge window overlooking space. I hadn't even noticed that my pajamas were still on. Pajamas, what a silly thing to wear. I never used to wear them, just in case I needed to get into my suit quickly. I guess it just wasn't one of those days. And while they were by no means safe at all, they were sure as hell comfortable. Relaxation is what I needed and they provided as much as I could get.

"Alright...what should we do."

I asked it just to get the conversation going. I had no idea what to do. I had no where to go, no where to stay, no where to hide. Adam says I've been in worse situations, but I highly doubt it. One wrong move and I could find myself being tortured in the Space Pirate prison facilities or being questioned and kept in the Galactic Federation prison facilities. I couldn't think of anything...until...

I quickly poked at the keyboard before me. Letters and numbers scrolled across the screen above my head.

Accessing Database

Subsearch: Tallon IV

Subsearch: Lore

Scanning Database...

Scans Retrieved

Instantaneously, huge bits of information began to pile up on the screen. My hand moved around the mouse pad as fast as the info was popping up. My eyes skimmed through every bit of lore I had found at Tallon IV. I had a hunch I'd fine something here. Something that would be more useful to me than anything else. My positive attitude, however, vanished when I reached the end of the lore.

"Wait...hold on a minute. Adam, move back to Lore Scan #54.A"

"Hold on...there it is, 54.A"

And there it was. A simple bit of lore amongst all of them. On the screen, I could see 54.A in the front with 53.E before it and 54.C behind it...54.C. That didn't seem right. I knew I had missed something. But I couldn't have. I was sure I had scanned every bit of information on that planet. There was nothing there I could of missed. But there it was. 54.B wasn't appearing. There was one piece of lore left?

"Looks like the perfectionist only got 99 percent."

"Retrieve the data again. Make sure there aren't any errors."

"Samus, I'm not getting any error reports from the database. 54.B is not in here."

I didn't want to freak out. That would only make it worse. I calmly relaxed and got my head together. 54.B was not there. But, the database left a space for it, so there has to be a piece existing. This wasn't an error. I just missed it. The Chozo hid it better than I thought. I couldn't believe that I didn't notice this before. Maybe it was because the lore was this important now.

"Adam, can you give me the locations of where I found 53.E and 54.C?"

"I don't have exact coordinates, but both pieces, as well as relative segments, were found in the Chozo Ruins region."

"Adam, plot a direct course to Tallon IV."

"Samus, I highly doubt one piece of old writings is going to do us any good at this point."

"Adam, you have to trust me on this. This may be the ticket we need to get ourselves out of this mess."


	7. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4**

_Tallon IV. I couldn't imagine what it would look like without Phazon. Phazon was so rooted in the planet, it's hard to believe what could be left. Even so, I still had to go back. That lore could get me out of this. My only fear was that the piece I forgot wasn't destroyed. I didn't know what I could have done without it. It was my final lifeline. No lore, no where to hide. But, if I found it, a new door would open. That door had been locked for ages. I'll either unlock it or break it open. Whatever works best. _

My ship raced towards Tallon IV. I couldn't see it out the window, but I knew we were close. The red space cloud far off in the distance was stuck in my mind from the last time I visited the planet. Minutes passed before the celestial being finally fell into my gaze. Its surface was a dusty orange, resembling the color of rust. The cloud behind it gave it a red tint. It seemed exactly as how it used to be, except for the...no, it was still there.

Frigate Orpheon. It was a bustling frigate filled with the devious experiments of the Space Pirates. Unlike the planet, it was quite different. It was completely obvious that no one had touched it in cycles. Chunks of its hull were lifeless in the space around it. It almost seemed like they were orbiting the vessel. A huge hole was ripped on the top, most likely from Meta Ridley's escape. I typed in coordinates for the frigate in case I needed to check it out later.

Fog broke and faded as my ship softly landed on the moist ground of the Tallon Overworld. Tallon Overworld was essentially a huge rain forest. It looked no different from the last time I was here. Water was still abundant as ever. Waterfalls, lakes, streams, brooks. Everywhere the I could see, flowing water graced it. Moss and algae lined the sides of these waterways. They dripped with droplets falling high above them from huge leaves. The forest was extremely dense, lined with a blanket of clouds and filled with unique and exotic noises. The only thing missing was the veins of Phazon that used to pump the substance around the planet.

Stepping out onto the surface, my boots were cushioned by the velvet ground. Water began to condense on my visor. It calmed me a bit. It was nice to be in this peaceful environment. Without Phazon running amok, the creatures around the planet became less hostile. Zoomers and Beetles gracefully went about their lives without giving a thought to the armor-clad being walking amongst them. Infected with Phazon, they would attack the hunter. Now, it doesn't even cross their minds.

"Samus, I am now linked with your internal systems. Give me a ring if you need anything."

"Are you sure these things won't attack?"

"They act like regular organisms now. They will only harm you if you try to harm it. Quite simple, actually."

"Very funny."

I lowered my gun that was originally aimed at the trail of a Burrower. It popped out of the ground, looked in my direction, then dove back into the muddy earth before it. It was surprising to see how normal this planet was without the influence of Phazon. It was like being on an entirely different planet. There was very little that could threaten me. They probably weren't as strong as before either, so even if they wanted to take me out, it wouldn't do them much good.

"Samus, I have a lock on Lore entries 54.A and 54.C. It seems like both were found near the tower you obtained the Wavebuster. I'd suggest taking a look in that area."

The monumental structure was immense. It cast a huge shadow over a great portion of the Chozo Ruins. Not much is known for what the tower was actually used for. It may have been a place of worship or a place of gathering when the area was bustling with Chozo activity. Whatever it was, it surely wasn't in the best of condition. Even with the vines growing all over it.

It seemed that with the absence of Phazon, the Tallon Overworld outgrew its former boundaries and made its way into the ruins. What used to be a dusty, abandoned region was now a pasture of life. The same creatures I found before were riddled throughout the former Chozo city. Rain water created numerous streams and waterfalls around the area. Mist collected on my visor once more.

"It's not here, Adam. I've looked through every inch of this place. The Pirates must have destroyed it."

"Not exactly. The Space Pirates ruled this area off-limits in their time here. The Chozo Ghosts kept them away. I doubt they could have been here long enough to destroy anything. Even if they did, you found every other piece of Lore. Why would this one be the only one taken out?"

"Because it could be the most important."

"Samus, I cannot help you any further until you tell me exactly what we are trying to find."

I sighed. I didn't want to give him the wrong information, but I had to tell him what little I knew.

"Alright. We need to find that Lore because it may give us a hint to The Garden."

"And what exactly is this garden?"

"When I was a child, my mentors spoke of this place. They never directly told me about it. I always had to eavesdrop to find out, and even then, that got me little. Supposedly, this was some sort of safe haven for the Chozo. They envisioned a time when they'd need to escape this realm and enter that one. They never spoke of how to get there or where it was. But, they predicted that I would save this place in Lore they wrote cycles ago. If they could see that, maybe they could tell when they'd need to go to The Garden. Maybe this Lore is where I'll find that.

"You think that little piece of scripture will set us free? You are basing this hunch on an illogical guess of something that may not even exist. What if we can't get there? Then what?"

"It's better than sitting here and doing nothing! This is our best shot and I'd rather take the time to try to find it than sitting around waiting for the GF or the pirates to blow us to bits. Do you have any better ideas?"

I didn't get a response until a little while later. I still sat on the same mossy rock I was on before. Thoughts raced through my head as I waited for his answer.

"Samus, you better be damned sure this will get us somewhere."

"The Chozo wouldn't leave me to die. They aren't like that. If anything will help us, this will. Trust me."


	8. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

_Sometimes I'd forget that I was talking to a computer. Adam felt so human. It gave me a weird feeling, especially because he could communicate with me at any time without physically being next to me. I would never even consider that he was just programming when I'd argue with him. I was yelling at a computer at times. It just never passed my train of thought. Nevertheless, he was the last person I needed to piss off and I would be only aware of it until after I was done speaking with him. I couldn't lose him. I'd die without him._

My head turned, rotated, rose, and fell. I just couldn't see it. I had no clue where it was. I had explored every damn inch of this place. Where the hell could it be? Maybe it wasn't in the tower. No, that wouldn't make sense. All the other associated ones were here. There was no hint of where it could be or anything about The Garden in other pieces. I didn't want to destroy anything looking for it and risk hurting it. I wouldn't forgive myself if I destroyed the most valuable thing on this planet.

"Samus...when exactly did you regain your Power Bomb when you were here?"

"Not until I reached Phendrana Drifts, why?"

"Maybe that's why you didn't find it at first."

"But what-"

Blow up the temple. That's what he wanted me to do. I didn't want to at first, but then it hit me. He was exactly right. I backtracked here before I reached the Space Pirate facilities at the drifts. I didn't have the Power Bomb until I went back later. I never came back here after that. Adam is right. Maybe the Power Bomb could find that writing for me.

"Stand back."

"Samus, I'm not next to you, I'm....never mind."

I quickly rolled up into the Morph Ball and bounced my way into the direct center of the building. Neon glowed from the crevices of the ball. I slowed to a stop, slowly rocking in one position before being completely still. Finally, a small bulb of energy formed below me. A circular wave of energy formed around it. The air shattered as the wave expanded and exploded in the temple. The ground shook with the might of an earthquake. I was flung against a wall and landed on a soft patch of flowers.

"Power Bomb activated."

I jumped out of the ball and scanned the temple. I noticed it was starting to shake and crumble. Pieces of the walls around me fell from above.

"Samus, it's going to fall! Get out of there now!"

"Shit!"

Boulders began to fall around me, puncturing the earth with tremendous force. I tried to jump from ledge to ledge, but rocks rammed me from all directions. At that point, I couldn't even see the exit anymore.

"Damn it Adam, how the fuck do I get out of here?"

"Straight ahead!"

There was no exit before me, just a huge rock blocking my path. I charged up my Power Beam, but just as I was going to shoot it, another boulder began to fall from above. Its sharp, pointed bottom seemed locked on to my skull. I slapped my arm cannon and swung my arm upwards. A devastating Super Missile rocketed from my gun and impacted the boulder. Shards of rock flew in every direction. I blocked myself with my cannon from many of them. I then readied my gun in front of me and let a flurry of missiles fly towards the rock. It exploded after the first few.

"Samus, not much time left!

"I'm working on it!"

More and more rocks fell as more and more missiles were shot. I couldn't keep up as much as I would have liked to. Where the previous boulder stood, four more were in my path. I looked up and a shower of rocks were falling. I had to do something fast. I wasn't getting out of here. My body curled up into the Morph Ball. Rocks dropped on top of me by the dozens. I became buried by them.

Channel Disconnected

"Damn it. Samus? Samus? Are you alright?"

Attempting To Restore Connection...

Connection Failed

Channel Disconnected

"Try again!"

Attempting To Restore Connection...

Connection Failed

Channel Disconnected


	9. Chapter 6

_Some say cats have nine lives. I must be one hell of a cat. I've been so close to death so many times, it almost feels natural at this point. I have memorized my entire life because of how many times it has flashed before my eyes. Sometimes I don't even remember recognizing that I could die. It just never occurred to me. When you have a mission, you have to complete it no matter what the cost. However, I didn't have a mission anymore. Would that change how I valued my life? Would that change how I went about my actions? Without my duty on my shoulders, I could think for myself. I had to. One wrong move and I'd be in deep. That's the last thing I needed at this point._

I almost felt as if someone was standing next to me, hammering away at my helmet merciless. Nausea kept me from jumping up to my feet. I couldn't tell which way up or down was. My head was spinning. For all I knew, I could have just had a hangover. It sure felt like it. I just lay there in the rubble, my body twisted and wretched in the curvature of the rocks. My morph ball took my of the impact, but I couldn't hold my form as long as I wanted to. My armor was cracked and dented. It didn't seem like any thing was broken, but I was too dizzy to truly make sure of it.

Oxygen hissed out of my helmet as I slowly lifted it off my head. My hair was matted down on my skull, but I took care of it with a quick shake of my head. I sluggishly made my way to a flatter rock and slumped down on it. I was still dazed and dreadfully out of it. My fingers dragged up onto my arm cannon and tapped at the inputs. Light flickered, then died. I was probably low on power. I could have easily lost most of my energy tanks, but I didn't have the concentration to check my helmets heads-up display to make sure.

I took a deep breath and sighed. My eyes dilated as I looked out of into the sky. The only thing visible was the shimmer of the distant stars in the night sky. How long was I unconscious for? It could have been hours, maybe even days. I'm damn lucky nothing found me. I guess the collapse warded off some of the predators wandering around here. They could still be around, so I figured it would be best to keep my suit on, no matter how much I wanted to be free of it.

My body was stripped of every last bit of energy I could muster. I was hungry. I was tired. I was in no condition to go anywhere. My life didn't flash before me, but I knew this could be it. There was no one around to help me and the closest thing to help was a computer in a ship miles away. Wait...Adam...

I quickly grabbed my helmet and shoved it onto my head. The HUD sprang to life, trying to keep itself going over the crack of my faceplate. I tapped at a few buttons on my helmet. I tried to establish a connection, but I was only greeted with static.

"Adam, do you read me? Adam, I repeat, do you read?"

Static. Just static. I must have lost my communication capabilities. Great. I'm in the middle of nowhere with no life support and no way to get myself back to my ship. Sure, I could wait it out until I became more aware of my surroundings, but my suit was still in need of repair. It could probably hold for a little while, but I couldn't trust it going that far of a distance.

Then, it caught my eye. Only a few feet away was a hole in the ground. It wasn't created by the explosion. It was carved out of the ground. I must have uncovered it with the power bomb. It led into pitch darkness, revealing only nothingness. I was wary if the stairs would hold my weight, but I forged on.

*

Smoke plumed from the end of the cigar. It choked the air before dispersing. He twisted his neck back and forth as the door before him slid open. Lieutenant Adam Kelso was always nervous about these meetings. They always seemed to bring forth some sort of secret objective or whatever. He was a soldier, not a political mind. He didn't want to be part of making these decisions. He just wanted to fight. Those days, however, were behind him.

Before him were two people he never wanted to meet, Colonel James Anderson and Colonel Hugh Lennings. Both of them were known to be hard-asses, but he had never met them in person. The last time he had heard of them, they were taking care of a top secret program called Hard Helmet. Hard Helmet was supposedly a cost-effective trial of creating replica armor based off of the Chozo model I wear. It was to be easier to make, but not as powerful. More of an upgrade to the protection regular soldiers already had. It never surfaced.

Kelso got up and saluted to the two men before him, who returned the favor and ushered him to sit down.

"Kelso, do you know why you are here?"

"Not exactly, sir."

Kelso tapped his fingers nervously on the table. He was curious as to what they had to tell him and why they wanted to tell him of all people.

"Look Lieutenant, I'll be brief as this is the last thing we all want to be doing. We have to discuss the matter of Samus Aran."

His heart dropped. He was afraid he'd have to go after me. Maybe even take me out. We were never friends. I had met Kelso when I was sent off to SR-388 to take out all the Metroids on the face of the planet. He was an odd figure. He always seemed to be fidgeting, whether it be biting his nails or tapping his fingers.

"What is there to discuss, Colonel?"

"Kelso, do you know what happened at the BSL?"

"Yeah. What about it?"

Anderson and Lennings looked at each other, then stole Kelso's gaze.

"Lieutenant, we lost massive amounts of tech on that vessel, not to mention to chance to study the X."

"From what I heard, Aran had no choice."

"What are you saying, Kelso?"

"Look, Samus realized the situation and obviously you guys didn't. That X could have been more powerful than we thought. Hell, that SA-X pretty much destroyed half the ship. It would do the same to the rest of us. Frankly, she used the best possible option available to her."

He never talked with that much grit and courage. If there were to be a conversation, rarely would he interject or respond. Nodding or agreeing was more his thing. Anderson and Lennings were a bit shocked at what they had heard.

"Samus is an outlaw, not a hero. She went against her orders. That's a violation right on the spot. She must be brought back to us."

"I won't be part of it, then."

"Kelso, you damn will be part of this. I want you to go get her. That's an order, Lieutenant!"

The two then rose from their seats. Kelso gave a weak salute as they turned on their heels and walked off. The doors slid open, then closed behind them. He knew this wasn't over. He would have to go get Samus, no matter how much he didn't want to. Suddenly, the doors slid open once more with Anderson walking through them.

"Lieutenant, you better be damned ready. The next cruiser that boards, you'll be on it."

"How will I even find her?"

"We'll give you all you need. You don't have a choice in this. Let's go. You have some matters to take care of."


	10. Chapter 7

_Secrets are a fun little things life throw at you. No matter how much you are barred from not knowing, it leads you in to be more curious. Mysteries like that usually start the predicaments I end up being in. Surprises don't scare me. It's the things that are right in front of me that scare me. Things that stare my right in the face, gazing right into my very soul. That's what scares me. I'd rather die at the hands of a Space Pirate cloaked in invisibility than one that I can see. I'd rather die to something I won't see coming. The less I know it's there, the less I am afraid of death._

The ground shattered as my boots stamped down on it. The stairs were a poor measure of keeping me up, but it was the only way to get down into whatever it was that was shrouded in that utter darkness. I'd be in fits if I attempted rolling down there. My throat was still burning from vomiting earlier. Plus, I was in no hurry to keep my helmet on. I needed to get as much fresh air as possible. I couldn't take being in that helmet as long as usual. I'm not claustrophobic, just human. Too much of a good thing, I suppose.

Still, even against the best of my efforts, I shoved my helmet back on. The small light above my visor would be the only thing that would get me to see anything down here. The last thing I wanted was to step on anything or fall into something. Meh, I've done it before. Nothing really bad happened...to me, anyways. Regardless, my light popped on, lighting up the dismal room I was entering. I looked back and saw the bright light of the outside world slowly die out. The stairs seemed to be endless. Maybe the Chozo were hoping intruders would give up after the first hundred steps.

A lonely lamp swung in the presence of my decent. I tapped at my arm cannon and it glowed red. Well, I am pretty dumb. Let's use the dinky flashlight when I have a gun that glows like the sun. Damn. My gun lit up the room much better, allowing me to notice the bit of power laying in the bell of the lamp. I flared up my cannon and touched the sprinkles with the flame, instantly lighting up the lamp. It glowed with an intensity a little weaker than my cannon, but I didn't have the focus to keep my gun idling for light.

I hadn't seen anything like these since Zebes. Writings from the ancient race littered the large wall before me. That's all it there was in the tiny room save the lamp, a lamp that I was afraid it was going to explode at any minute. Figures of the bird-like creatures were the main focal point of the wall, each holding a circle with different shapes inside. One bore the insignia I found on my first mission to Zebes when I regained my Power Suit.

Thanks to that exhausting "test" I took with the floating ghost of the Chozo image, I was fully recharged with an advanced version of my armor. Without it, I would have never escaped the mothership of the pirates and defeat the robotic Ridley. God, remembering is time-consuming.

I wiped the wall with my palm, but nothing happened to my surprise. Usually there would be some sort of button to press or icon to uncover. Nothing special here. Except for the corner of my eye. More of the writing became clear when I turned my head in that direction. I quickly clicked on my Scan Visor. Blank outlines of the figures didn't get me anything until I looked at the bold writing on the corner of the wall. It flashed red and, in and instant, extreme amounts of data streamed before my eyes. It was more than the writing I was seeing on the wall. This hid much more than it was letting me on.

Lore Found

Categorized In SubSection Tallon IV

Lore 54.B Retrieved

Inserted Into Lore Database

Static buzzed throughout the internal speakers of my armor. All of a sudden, it clicked a few times before a voice rang in my eyes. Adam?

"Samus...is this working? Samus?

"Adam? Can you hear me?"

"Thank god I reached you. I've been dabbling with this for hours. Are you hurt?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. A little dazed, but I'll be okay."

"Samus, you must have been out for hours. Take it easy, alright? I don't need you passing out. I can't treat you all the way out in...where ever you are. The ruins, right?"

"Yes, Adam, the ruins. The explosion opened up a secret chamber and it had the lore in it!"

"Well, looks like your hunch was more than just a random guess. Have you read it yet?"

"No, I just scanned it. I'm still getting data from it."

"Odd. Well, let it download, then we'll discuss it. Hopefully it had some clue for us."

"Yeah, I hope-"

Thrusters boomed across the jungles. The sound reverberated off the thick trunks of the forest, amplifying the already enormous noise. A large shadow, one I couldn't see from the room, enveloped the rubble of the fallen tower as it crossed the skies. It then soared off into the distance, stretching over the canopy.

"Hold it Adam, I've got company."

"Yeah, I've noticed. Incoming vessel approaching the ship. Cruising speed 45 kilometers an hour."

"Alright, hold tight Adam. I'll be there shortly."

I pushed off quickly towards the stairs, but stumbled over myself. I had to fight through it. No matter how sick I still felt, I needed to get back to my ship. No one could know I was here. I could lose my ship. Lose my cover. Lose my life...Lose Adam. No. I couldn't let that happen. It is so early, yet we have come so far. This could be our way out. I will not let it end this way.

*

"Looks like someone already took our landing spot, Cam."

"Thanks. I didn't notice. So glad you are here."

The cruiser slowly hovered above my ship, as if it was challenging it for its spot. Without getting a response, it settled down only a few dozen feet next to it. Air billowed from the landing. Grass whipped around, plants swayed rapidly, flowers jumped from their roots. Fire spurted from the boosters as the ship steadied itself onto the ground.

"Doesn't look like a pirate ship."

"Must be one of ours. Looks like a Hunter Class."

"I hate when they do this. Always giving up our jobs to bounty hunters before we even hear about it."

"Don't worry about it Steve. If it's one of ours, we'll pitch in. If not, that's what the guns are for."


	11. Chapter 8

_I've been lucky enough to never have to shoot another human being. It is different than shooting an alien. Humans have blood, red blood. They have bones. They have hearts. And only one of them, not four or five. I know how I am just like them, which is why I never knew how I could live with killing one of them. Back at the Academy, I was undergoing a training exercise and was hit with a stun round. It was the worst feeling in my life. Why? Because if it were a real bullet, I would have been dead. I had to live with knowing my life could have ended if that were real. Stun rounds were the only thing I've ever shot a human with. How would it feel to shoot a human with something that could potentially end their life?_

"Steve, get me whatever you can on this place. I want to know what we are up against."

"Already on it."

These two weren't exactly the top of the line in the Federation, but this was a low-ranked mission. Simply put, they were just examining the planet now that it was rid of Phazon. They had no idea that I was also on the surface. In fact, they had no idea who I was. If they were tested on the roster of active bounty hunters, I doubt they'd be able to recognize even the most popular of hunters. At the time, I was under the assumption that they were on a search for me, so I kept myself in the shadows when I really didn't need to. As far as they knew, any humanoid being was on their side.

Cameron Randall was the head of this two-man crew, but was a normal soldier of the front-line. He was only on the mission because he could successfully pilot a vessel. A stereotypical thick-headed soldier, he was always on everyone's case about getting a job done. There was nothing special about him except his determination to complete a mission. Unfortunately, many viewed him as an annoying bastard, which he was, as well as a hothead, also what he was.

The complete opposite of him was his partner Steven Keller. Barely out of boot camp, Keller is what most would call "potential cannon-fodder". The Federation was known for putting new recruits in hard situations to see how they would fare. Keller got lucky and survived, but it never got much better until the GF recognized him as a champion soldier at heart. He had a good shot with any gun he used, that was a fact. He was also good at ass-kissing. If you were a superior to him, he'd suck up like it was his mortal duty. His Commanding Officers saw this as a nice gesture, but fellow soldiers felt like whacking him with the butt of their guns sometimes.

Ironically, as different as they were, the Federation always felt like putting them together on missions. Keller never saw this as a bad thing, but Cameron absolutely hated it. He knew Steve was a better shot than him and, because of it, he sometimes doubted his skill at times. He couldn't do much about it, so he sucked it up and went on with his mission. To his credit, Cameron was good at giving orders, so at least the mission would be organized. That just seemed to be the least of their problems.

"Nothing special showing up. Everything is placid. The only one in the Ooromine system, to be exact."

"Good. At least it isn't anything like Billium or Twin Tabula. Those shit holes are nothing but trouble."

Steve spun in his chair to face Cameron. He was pressing buttons on the tablet before him, completely unaware of Steve staring at him. He finally looked up and gave a puzzled lift of the eyebrow to him.

"Yeah?"

Steve shrugged his shoulders and turned back around.

"Should I scan the ship? Could be something valuable."

Cam looked up again and peered at the screen Steve was fixed on.

"Yeah, go for it. Could be reinforcements or something."

"Why would we need reinforcements? There isn't anything here."

The two froze. Steve didn't pull his gaze from the screen as information streamed at the top. Cam stared at the back of his head. His mouth couldn't utter a word. Reinforcements wouldn't be needed. If they were, they would have called for them. Reinforcements don't just show up.

"Hunter Class Gunship R-347. Issued to Bounty Hunter Samus Aran after the destruction of her previous ship, Gunship M-589, in the asteroid field near the former BSL Labs. Contains intelligent AI."

Cam broke his frozen gaze with a slight shake of the head. Jumping up from his seat, Cam rushed over to the screen, taking in as much information as possible. Steve looked over his shoulder at Cam, then turned back over to the screen. Information finally stopped streaming and the scan came to a close.

"Name doesn't ring a bell, but it is a Federation-issued ship. Could be a completely different task to complete."

Cam walked off, twiddling his thumbs behind his back.

"We won't engage. Let's just leave the hunter be. If we need anything, or he needs any help from us, then we'll contact. If not, it is best not to get into the matter. We don't know exactly what he is doing or why, so let's leave it that way. Get suited up, we are going topside."

*

Leaves shuffled as I tried to get a good look at the contacts before me. The Overworld was drenched in rainfall as it continued to fall from the heavens. The sound of water bouncing off my suit became a melody in my ears. I was relaxed, but still alert.

"It's a Federation vessel. Two-man crew. Doesn't seem to be much of a threat, but they do have weaponry on board. I'd suggest staying clear, but I suppose you have an idea of your own, Lady?"

"I can't just avoid them. I've gotten what we've came for and it's time to go. I doubt I'll be able to leave without them noticing."

"Yes, but they could be looking for you. I highly doubt they'll just let you leave when you are a wanted criminal according to them."

I heard him, but it didn't warrant a response. I knew they could be sent to bring me back, but the Federation knows of my strength. A two-man crew is a gross understatement of what it would take to get me in. Even if they are a threat, it wouldn't take much to relieve them of their abilities to fight...or breathe. It was time to leave Tallon IV and the only thing that stood between the ship and I was these two lonely soldiers. No sweat.

The troopers, armed with basic energy rifles, stepped off their ship with some difficulty. They looked like the first astronauts to land on the Moon, taking small, cautious steps. Expecting to bounce, the troopers landed on the ground with a thud. They both clicked off their face-plates and welcomed a gust of fresh air into their helmets.

I stepped out with my left arm raised, issuing the universal "I come in peace" gesture. My arm cannon was down, but it wouldn't take more than a split-second to lift and fire if they shot at me. The troopers looked up and leveled their rifles.

"Radio channel opened by the troopers. Shall I connect?"

"Yeah, let's hear what they have to say."

A crisp flush of static filled her ears. It silenced as the channel opened and the voices of the beings before her came online.

"Federation troopers Randall and Keller. State your name and purpose."

Shit. I couldn't tell them my real name."

"Stand down. Federation Hunter...uh, Houston."

"Purpose?"

"Confidential."

"Sir, we must know of your objective or we may have to use lethal force."

"With all due respect, it is none of your business. I am about to be on my way. Give me leave or maybe I'll have to use lethal force. Stand down."

Cam waved his hand in front of Steve's rifle. He uneasily lowered his gun as Cam did.

"Hold on, I've got someone else on the other line."

Cam clicked off the channel and walked behind his vessel – out of my sight. Steve followed. I could only see their shadows, but I kept my concentration on where they would come out from behind the ship.

"Randall, do you copy?"

"Yes sir."

"Randall, we need you and Keller to report back to base. We have another mission for you."

"Sir, we haven't finished here."

"This is damn more important than studying flowers, soldier. We have a rogue bounty hunter on the loose and need as many of you guys here on the double."

"Rogue, sir?"

"Yes, rogue. Samus Aran, to be exact."

"Never heard of-"

How could he be so dense? A bounty hunter stood just before him by the name of Armstrong. Armstrong? Was it the dreaded Samus Aran simply tricking them? Steve even said it was issued to Aran. Was he seriously that narrow-minded?"

"Sir, I believe Aran is on Tallon IV at this very moment."

"Then what are you doing standing around, soldier? Make sure she doesn't get away. We'll be sending back-up ASAP. Hold on for as long as possible, got it?"

"Sir yes sir!"

Randall turned to Keller as the private channel turned off.

"Keller, we have enemy contacts."

"Who?"

"The damned hunter standing right in front of our faces."


	12. Chapter 9

_To be completely honest, I was one of the best shots in the Academy. A genuine sharpshooter, if you will. I could hit any point on the body at any moment. Many feared me because of it. People would forfeit practice bouts because they already knew what they were dealing with. It almost seems unfair with this armor on. It doesn't even seem difficult on targets that aren't humans, even though their anatomies are different than ours. Doesn't make a difference. We have heads. They have heads. Head shots are always the best way to go. You shoot them, they don't shoot back._

Randall and Keller slowly moved around the ship. I still stood there, unaware of my cover being blown. Their guns were raised, but it didn't worry me. They probably had standard ammo with them. Even with armor-piercing shots, I could outrun them. They weren't much of a threat either way. Still, I kept my arm cannon at the ready. You never know what to expect on the field of battle.

"Houston, the Federation would like to see you for debriefing."

Shit. They were onto me.

"No can do, I have other business to take care of."

With that, I began to walk towards my ship, but the two troopers stood in my way.

"I'm sorry sir, I'm afraid we can't let you do that."

Cameron reached behind his back, grabbing at a pair of handcuffs. They sprang to life, electricity wrapped around the cuffs. Energy cuffs were a pain in the ass. I could probably break through them, but it took some time. I couldn't risk losing time with two men capable of at least disarming me.

"Believe me, it would save us all a lot of trouble if you let me be."

The cuffs swung around before me, but he had no time to even click them on. I swiped the cuffs out of his hands and chucked them into the waterfall behind us. The light from the cuffs slowly died as it sunk to the bottom of the soft bedrock below. My arm cannon glowed with yellow energy and shot out of the gun. Randall sprang out of the way in time and rolled behind a rigid rock. Keller slid next to him and began to fire blindly over the top of the formation.

The bullets rang against my armor. Definitely not AP shots. I didn't feel a thing as they bounced off of my body. I was simply egging them on to keep firing, standing in the same spot for nearly half a minute. They must have burnt through at least a dozen clips before realizing they were just wasting ammo.

"It isn't doing anything Cam!"

"Really? I hadn't noticed!"

Keller rocked on his back and ducked his head, trying to stuff another clip into his rifle. GF guns were unique, that's for sure. They reminded me of primitive rifles, since their rounds were bullet-like. The guns shot energy that was solidified and shaped into bullets, making them easier to shoot, but not as powerful. That is what AP and higher-calibur rounds were for. The stronger the rounds, the less bullet-like they were. These rounds, however, did nothing to phase me. They were going to switch ammo soon if they had it available to them.

"Damn it! What the hell is it?"

I finally began to move towards them, firing warning shots above their heads. Cam barely stuck his head over the rock to take look, but quickly zipped back down has another shot raced over him. Heat washed over him. His scalp prickled has the shot buzzed away and impacted into a mossy cliffside. The moss burnt up in flames before dieing out immediately after.

Cam put his back up against the rock and began to reload again. He shoved it in the clip as hard as he could, but it wedged itself in an awkward position.

"Shit! Bastard's jammed!"

Steve pivoted to face Cam. He wound up and backhanded the clip, forcing it up into the holder. Cam gave a nod and began to fire again. His shots, however, ricocheted off the rock before him. Steve was lowering his gun, ushering for him to stop, with his hand.

"What are you doing?"

"Stopping you from wasting all our damn ammo. Armor's too powerful. Do we have anything stronger?"

"All we have are Mach Carbines, but they are back on the ship."

Steve looked down, ran thoughts through his head, then spoke again.

"Go grab them. I'll hold the hunter off."

"It'll kill you first!"

"Just go!"

Steve gave Cam a push, popping him out from the rock. He turned and saw me slowly walking towards him. I had no intention of killing him, but it seemed like he had the intention of pissing himself. His eyes were as wide as they could be. Steve kicked his calf and Cam sprang to life, sprinting up the ship.

Steve didn't fire, which confused me. I doubt he was giving up or anything, but I was under the assumption they would run out of ammo. With that, I watched Cam make his way into the ship. I had no idea what they had on board, so I assumed the worst. Assuming the worst can be beneficial at times, but hindering at others. Sometimes it'll save your life, others it'll kill you. They better not have armor-piercing rounds in there.

I began to rush towards him, but kept my cool. I kept myself in a fast walk. My boots made dull thuds on the wet ground. Steve's nerves were destroying him. His hands began to shake. The light armor on his hands clattered against the riveted metal of his rifle. Whatever got into him was beyond me, but less than a second later, I found him standing straight up before me.

"I can't let you go in there."

"I honestly don't plan to."

"Sir, stand down."

"What are you, a Private? I don't take orders, let alone from Privates. For your own sake, I suggest that _you_ stand down."

I was getting agitated. He wasn't taking the hint. I didn't want to, but it seemed that I'd have to use lethal force. Too bad for him.

"I said, stand down!"

My arm rocketed towards his chest. I scrambled to grab the little mesh visible between his skin and his armor. My fingers finally grasped it and I forcefully pulled him towards me. My suit made me a good two or three feet taller than him, so he his feet were hanging when I raised him to eye level.

"I will say this one more time. Leave me alone. Do you understand?"

I didn't seem like he did. His rifle was still in hand. I was getting clumsy. It was basic training that teaches you to disarm an opponent before verbally confronting him. Still, his bullets did no good. He fired rapidly at my abdomen, then began to bash my armor with the side of the gun. He kept switching between shooting me and hitting me, but I didn't feel either.

My arm cannon raised. His head met the crushing force of my gun. I watched him soar over the rock and land hard on the ground. Land at the bottom of the ship. Land right at Cameron's feet. Steve's helmet slid off his head, revealing a bloodied face lacking any signs of life. A Mach Carbine in hand, Cam looked up at me. I stood like statue, waiting for a response. He stood there as well. Frozen.


	13. Chapter 10

_Space Pirates, even though they are so different from us humans, work in ways similar to ours. They show loyalty, respect, honor. All human characteristics. They even salute to some degree. The small things that keep our society together keeps theirs together, as well. Yet, we have different goals, different achievements, and different histories. The most notable differences are our appearances and languages, but we are all the same on the inside. I hate getting sentimental. Space Pirates are vile beings, through and through. No measure of soft intellectual thought can change that. I'll kill every last one of them. _

His claws bounced up and down on his chair. Rattling against the stern metal, they pinged as each tapped on the chair relentlessly. His eyes darted mindlessly into space. No literal meaning there. If to be technical, he was just staring at the blank monitors before him, but the expression justifies the action anyway. Commander Veron stood next to Ridley's large chair, giving orders to lesser troops. The pirates satisfied his orders in a rather savage manner, sending grunts and murmured grumbles to one another throughout the process. I couldn't imagine if they were actually talking to one another or giving insults as if it was a competition to finish first.

"So, Commander, what do you suppose we do?"

High Commander Ridley swiveled to look at him, waiting for a response. Veron's eyes swept the floor before he could muster a reply.

"It seems to me was have two options. The Federation have left many of their outposts for some reason we haven't confirmed. We could move in on their territory...or...."

"Or what?"

"...or we could pursue the Hunter."

Ridley cocked the skin above his eye, regardless of the fact that he lacked eyebrows. It almost seemed like he was making a face at Veron, but the Commander knew all too well what Ridley was doing. Every Space Pirate knew that expression. He was cooking up something in that complex mind of his.

"What would constitute us finding her?"

Veron noticed a pirate not maintaining his post, so he delivered the troop a slap to the back of its scaly head. It immediately jumped back into rhythm and began tapping away at the keyboard of odd figures and geometries before it. Veron himself then jumped back into his train of thought and turned to the High Commander.

"Ridley, it is evident that we won't get anywhere with the Hunter about. She is always one to infiltrate and destroy our operations."

"That is true, but we haven't heard of any activity from her in recent memory. The only thing we have of her from any recent event is that chunk of armor you found at SR-388. For all we know, she could be doing something else. That could buy us time for-"

"I'm sorry, but I have to disagree with you, your honor."

For some reason, Veron was the only one that called Ridley "your honor". Ridley didn't care enough to make it mandatory for all of his underlings to refer to him as such. His own name suited him just fine and only superior officers ever mentioned his High Command position. It made him a little uncomfortable when the Commander spoke those words, but he kept that to himself. That was the least of his problems. In fact, it didn't seem like much of a problem, at all."

"You do, Veron? Please, tell me your reasoning behind that."

Veron swayed in his stance a little, trying to find the right words to convey his message to Ridley.

"When have any of our operations been completed without her interruptions?"

"Tallon IV."

"Yes, we did settle in rather well, but she came in and took us out eventually. Regardless of what we do, she eventually ruins us and we have never got close to taking her out, unless you count unintentional events, but she has gotten through those, as well."

Ridley pondered this for a moment. Veron had a point, but his problematic rival hadn't been a pain for him in quite some time. He couldn't risk losing more assets. Sure, he could use the time to set up something...anything...but Samus would eventually destroy it. Veron was right.

"Fine. But, don't go in blind. Get as much intel as you can. I'm sure you don't know where she is, do you?"

"No at all, sir."

"That's what I thought. Figure out where she is or where she has been and track her from those points."

Ridley pushed at a few of the buttons on his chair, then resumed the conversation.

"Take whatever you need for this mission. I'm giving you clearance in all fields. Do whatever you need to do to take her out."

"Do you wish for us to take her into custody alive, sir?"

"No. I don't need more of our resources keeping a wretched human alive. I'd rather have her dead than alive. Whenever you have the opportunity, get rid of her. I want her dead."

Veron gave an odd salute, odd by human standards, anyways. Ridley returned it with his over-sized hands and nodded, then turned back to resume whatever he was doing before Veron confronted him on the issue. He didn't remember what he was exactly doing, so he just whipped his soldiers into shape as they were getting off task again.

*

"Superior Helgon, reporting sir!"

If there was one thing Commander Veron didn't like about Helgon was his perkiness. The Space Pirates were known for being dark and cruel. Veron liked keeping it that way. Helgon reminded him of a young, spunky human soldier. If he didn't know any better, Helgon could have been one of them in Space Pirate costume.

Veron returned Helgon's salute. Helgon stood at Veron's height, which put Veron in an uneasy state. He wasn't a threat to his position, as he couldn't see Helgon being promoted to Veron's rank, but Helgon was a dedicated soldier nonetheless. Helgon was a good soul, so the Commander could never put him down on any action. He never seemed to make mistakes. Ever.

Being a Superior, Helgon was only two ranks lower than Veron. Between the Commander and Superior ranks was the Master Superior. While there were dozens of Superiors, there was only one Master Superior, just as there was only one Commander and only one High Commander. Master Superior Ulron was very much like his Commander counterpart, a stern and hard-headed soldier, but he wasn't here yet.

The room was eerily empty save for the Commander and Superior. It was one of the many conference rooms on the Space Pirate Mothership, the _Righteous Virtue. _Ridley crowned the ship with the name when he first set his eyes on it as it was transported from the Homeworld ship facilities. It was at least five times larger than Master Superior Ulron's vessel, the _Merciless, _and at least seven times larger than Veron's ship, the _Absolute._ Ridley's room was not that far away, but the conference hall felt like it was the only one for miles.

Finally, a shower of light burst from the sliding doors across the room. A lone shadow appeared in the blinding light. The eyes of Veron and Helgon adjusted and recognized the silhouette as Master Superior Ulron. He was almost unrecognizable compared to Veron except for the battle armor they wore, which signified their ranks. His stride was strikingly similar to that of Veron's. Helgon's gaze jumped from the two aliens as he tried to distinguish who was who.

"Good to see you again, Commander."

"Likewise, Master Superior."

"Well, let's get down to business. We have some important matters to discuss. Sit, sit, this may take awhile."


	14. Chapter 11

_Flaws. If flaws didn't exist, if no one had any flaws, the universe wouldn't need people like me. If the Federation wasn't the definition of the word, there wouldn't be a need for people like me. If they just had a handle, a simple grasp on the world around them, maybe there wouldn't be people like me. Knowing what the enemy will plan next, what their motivation is, what their goal is, is the difference between needing and not needing people like me. People like me only exist because others need solutions to problems they couldn't fix. We are the hammer to drive in the nail, the key to start the engine, the spark to light a fire. Without us, there would be no flaw. Without flaw, there would be no us._

The Space Pirates had a very odd way of conveying their artistic skills. Even at the Homeworld, I couldn't even notice the full potential of their crafty ways. I witnessed a sharp contrast between what they showed and what was really their mastery of the arts. The _Righteous Virtue_ was a prime example of this. A Greco-Roman style fluctuated throughout the ship. They mixed their taste in the metallics in structures like Gothic columns with steel vines dancing up them. You would expect to see a few crumbles of rock fall if you tapped one of them, but all you would receive was the ping of metal.

The ship gave off a magnificent feeling, but the dark shadows cast by the columns and arcs of the conference room didn't reflect that sentiment. Even so, it didn't hinder from the upbeat persona of Superior Helgon. While he understood the situation at hand, he couldn't help but feel good. It made Veron a bit uneasy, but Master Superior Ulron wasn't phased by it.

Ulron ushered the two to sit down, and when they promptly did so, he began to unveil the reason of their gathering.

"Normally, I'd go with inter-vessel communication, but I wouldn't disgrace the matter with such laziness. Veron, you obviously know what is of the matter, but Helgon...well, I doubt you are up to speed."

The Superior gave a quick nod. Ulron began to utter words, but Veron stopped him. He wanted to tell him personally. It was his mission, after all.

"The Hunter. She has become a pain to us for no longer. Ridley has given us the permission to settle this once and for all. I don't think I need to explain this to you much longer, do I Superior?"

"Not at all, Commander."

"Good."

Veron turned to Ulron and swiftly gestured towards his lower quarters. Ulron flashed out a small plate, no larger than a piece of paper, and slid it onto the middle of the table. To save time, Veron jabbed at the buttons for Ulron, allowing a large hologram to jump into the air above the table. Pictures and grids bounced around the sphere it created, before one planet was zoomed in on and blew up to engulf the whole area of the projection globe.

"This is SR-388. The last time we gained any information on the Hunter. We figured she was on board the Galactic Federation's vessel. I doubt she was on board during the crash, as we would have found more than a small chip of her shoulder."

Ulron butted in.

"You wanted to be up to speed, Helgon? Well, there you go. That's all we know as of now."

"Which is why we need to performreconnaissance. That is where you come in, Superior."

"How will I go about it? I do appreciate the opportunity, but I don't see how I'll do it alone."

Helgon was a smart soldier. He didn't just patronize, he understood. When we needed him, he was there. That's why he was one of the few Superior's in the army.

"You won't be alone. The Commander and I will be offering support if you need it through our ships and extra troopers. You'll be bringing in your own squad and gather as much information as possible."

"From who?"

"The humans, of course."

"But...I-I wouldn't even know where to begin."

A hologram backed off the image of SR-388 and out of a blank corner flew in a model of the G.F.S. Olympus, the largest human ship in the fleet. The hologram showed it drifting in the empty green holographic space above their heads, ships flying to and away from the massive vessel and disappearing out of the range of the projection.

"The Olympus. If we need information, that's where it will be."

Ulron took control of the discussion again, almost as if he was going to finish what Veron was going to say. It didn't surprise Helgon. He wouldn't be surprised if someone told him Veron and Ulron were long lost brothers. It sure seemed that way to him.

"This is the highest amount of activity we have seen from the ship since our operation concerning the Phazon manipulation. Since then, it has been rather inactive. We believe this jump in ship activity is because they are searching for the Hunter themselves."

"Why? I don't remember us trying to attack her or anything. Wouldn't she be with them?"

"The humans are far too different to fully understand their morals and customs. We don't know why the Hunter isn't with them and if they really want her back or just want her gone. Regardless, we are sure the ships are being sent out to find her. They probably know as little as we do."

Helgon swayed in his seat. He was uneasy, that was clear. Veron was concentrating too much to notice, but Ulron was fully aware of him.

"Superior, it is your duty as a Superior to perform tasks dire to the goals of the Pirates. Do you not understand this?"

Helgon jumped to attention, noticing the message he was sending them with his body.

"Yes, I understand. But, I do not want to risk the operation with any faults I could cause."

Veron, finished fiddling with the device in front of him, caught his uneasy feeling with the task at hand.

"Superior, you will do fine. I don't see anyone else to put in your position. I would personally do it, but I believe you are up to the task. We will hold our parts of the operation and fulfill them to the best of our abilities and we expect nothing less from you."

"Plus, Veron forgot to mention to help you will be getting on the field."

"I thought you said-"

"Yeah, but, like I said, we didn't mention it. Since you haven't been on the field of battle in quite some time, we figured it would be best for the mission for you to have a helping hand. One of our top generals will be joining you."

"May I ask whom?"

"General Weavel Xeron."


	15. Chapter 12

_I never fully understood the risks of being part of the military. Even to this day, being on my own as a bounty hunter for hire...or, at least, when I was being hired, I usually see the benefits of being a particularly lethal force. What never bothered me bothers so many. What bothers them is that they will become some of the toughest men and women in the galaxy, training for years to become the best they can be. Learning maneuvers, tricks, strategies, all for the sake of the Federation. The success of the GF rests on their shoulders, the shoulders of thousands, many of which have families back at home. What bothers them? That after all of that training, all of that work, it takes only one shot to end their lives. One bullet, one mere piece of shrapnel, can end something that was molded for years to be the best. That's what scares them. It never scared me._

I'd hate to be that man right now. Watching an armor-clad being, that has the same flesh and blood, swat his comrade like he was a bug. Steve was dead, Cameron knew that the moment he saw his lifeless body flip to the ground. There was no need to check for a pulse or try to resuscitate him. He was gone. That was that. Lethal force is a double-edged sword when you have to execute it on someone you don't want to use it upon. They bring it on themselves. I didn't feel anything when I ended Steve's life, just like I don't feel anything when I kill a Space Pirate or some other hostile being. Maybe adrenaline, but that's about it. But there was no gain of a rush here. It was a cold action. I knew it.

"H-Holy shit".

If I could see through his faceplate, I would have known how dilated Cameron's pupil's were. They must have been like black holes, ready to suck in any little trace of light available. He was shaking tremendously. I just stared at him. I couldn't understand what he was going through. I stood there and watched him become overwhelmed in panic and fear. He began to cuss under his breathe, not out of anger, but out of sheer fright. I was Goliath and he was David, but David didn't have the right slingshot to take down the giant before him.

Cameron had no idea what to do. His hands clutched the rifle as if his fingers were dripping with industrial glue. But he figured he had to do something. He wasn't going to go down without a fight. His thumb, which was resting right next to the safety, flicked the switch and the gun burst to life. He quickly swung it around and fired a stream of energy. At first, I didn't feel anything, but my heads-up display was alerting me that my energy tanks weren't as filled as I thought. I hadn't regained any energy since the collapse of the tower. My arrogance became ignorance. I had barely any support left before the armor would give way and my body would start taking the shots.

I quickly fired off a missile. It ripped through the air as it left a trail of hot smoke in its path. Cameron rolled out of the way and found refuge behind a mossy edge about ten feet in height. The explosion of the projectile rocked the ramp of his ship, but only left a concussing dent rather than demolishing the whole ramp itself. More armor-piercing rounds flew at me, but I managed to duck under them into my morph ball and speed towards him. Behind the formating, Cameron lost his sight of me and was completely unaware of the metal ball traveling towards him.

I boosted right towards him, rattling against his armor and knocking him off his knees and onto the wet ground. I circled around for another pace, but retreated behind a few rocks as more rounds found me and delivered a few knocks to the ball. A smarting pain shot into my abdomen, but I braced through it. I then bounced on top of the rocks and boosted through the air, aiming at his head. He ducked, but couldn't dodge the bombs I left as a present.

Rolling out of my alternative form, I twisted around on my feet to see Cameron rocket back into the formation. The bombs left black residue on his suit. He struggled to regain his balance, but was barely able to rest on one knee. I slipped behind another rock to try and keep myself from getting too overzealous. He was just a marine, but he could take me out in my condition, whether he knew it or not. As far as he knew, I had full energy tanks, but I knew better. With that in mind, I made sure I wouldn't get trapped in a stream of fire.

A door opened. Armor clanked on metal of a similar make. Light flashed in the air. I raised my head slowly over the rock and found Cameron being lowered in a ship. My ship. I guess he figured he wasn't going to win the fight and decided to take a bit of me with him. My helmet crackled as I got up to pursue him.

"Samus...not sure if you noticed, but I'm being stolen. If you could take care of this guy, that would be fantastic."

"Can't you lock him out?"

"I tried, but he is manually overriding my actions. He definitely knows his way around a ship."

"Great. Just hold on. Try to stall him as much as you can."

I cleared the distance between the rock and my ship in only a few strides, but it seems Adam's attempts at buying me some time wasn't panning out so well. My ship began to lift off the ground and ready to leave the planet. I activated my grappling hook and lassoed one of the thrusters below the vessel. I was swung into the air as the ship was taking off. I gripped the ship, trying to find something to hang onto as I made my way into the ship. Adam's voice clicked on again.

"My apologies Lady, but it seems he stopped my attempts at stalling him."

"Can't you at least open the damn thing so I can get in?"

"He locked it manually. I can't do anything when he overrides every single action I try to perform, Samus."

I swung on top of the ship. I only had a few moments before Cameron shot out of the atmosphere and I was either ripped of my position and sent to fall back to the ground or I would be rocketed into space and drift until my oxygen was used up and I suffocated. Neither of which were good options. The door ceased to open until I powered up a Super Missile and used it, along with a devastating punch to the metal, to rip a hole in the door.

Cameron was tinkering with the controls, readying the ship for space travel as I dropped into the vessel. His rifle was laying on the ground next to the chair and was in no position to take me out. But he still swung around as if he was prepared to face me head-on. He reached for his rifle, but I grabbed for his arm and yanked it out of its socket. He yelped in pain, but continued to battle me for the carbine. He pushed me back and secured the gun. A huge blast flew out of the barrel, but I slid to the floor to dodge it.. He had it on full power. The back of the ship took the front of the blow, dealing an immense amount of damage. Another one of those shots would easily rip a chunk in the ship.

He pulled the trigger again, but I couldn't dodge this one. It felt like a huge mallet wailed me in the face. I blacked out as my body was flung against the back of the ship, prying it open and letting the atmosphere pour into the vessel. I regained myself just as I was being sent outside. I grasped an edge with my left hand and clung to it. Cameron held his position with ease, trying his best to maintain altitude. The hole wasn't too large, but he wouldn't be able to get far with it there. I feared he would be able to patch it up in time and get out, so I had to take it out myself.

"Adam, do you read?"

"Barely."

"Can you contact the GF ship ground side?"

"Yes, why?"

"Purge all of my ship's data and re-route it to that one. I'm taking that one instead.

"Alright, but you'll need to give me a few minutes."

"We don't have minutes! Get as much as you can and jump ships. Make sure you won't be altered in the jump."

"I'll do my best."

I knew he would. I just hoped that he would be ready when this thing went to hell. I latched onto the bottom of the ship. The heat of the thrusters wasn't exactly comfortable, but the internal cooling of my suit kept me going.

"Adam, jump now!"

"Jumping vessels in 3...2...1..."

I wound up and punctured the bottom of the ship. It's internal workings were exposed. Whatever was keeping this thing up was here. I charged up another round of missiles and sent a volley of them in the heart of the beast. I then quickly let go and rolled into my morph ball. I had to survive this fall. But Cameron and my ship surely wouldn't. It exploded in a ball of fire and began to arc down towards the surface of Tallon IV. All that was left was fire, ashes, twisted metal, too many memories, and a man that didn't deserve his end.

I hit the ground with a thud, but I got out of it okay. I probably received a concussion and some bruising, but I had to shake it off.

"Lady, need help?"

I let out a sigh of relief. He made it. The bastard made it.

"No. I'm alright, thanks. Did you make it okay?"

"Everything is fine. I got everything important. All that was left behind were some old coordinates and such you probably haven't touched in who knows how long."

I let out a slight laugh. Everything worked out. I survived. Adam survived. The lore survived. We still had a chance to live through this.

The control chair of the ship was definitely more comfortable than that of my old ship. Adam was still getting used to the new geometry and systematics of his new abode. The ship lifted off of the ground and into the darkness of space. Clouds parted as my new vessel rose above them. I looked out a window to my right and saw smoke billowing ash and dark masses of choking air into the atmosphere. I then realized that I had no regard for anything other than myself. I destroyed a ship I had barely had long enough to call my own. I killed two men who had loved ones waiting for them on other planets, hoping that they would arrive home in one piece. Hoping nothing had happened to them.

_I realized that I wasn't who I used to be. I was changed for the worse. And worst of all, the only thing that I could actually care about other than myself was a computer program. Something that I cherished more than the lives of human beings. That made me realize what I had become. What am I?_


	16. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13**

_Interestingly enough, when we left Tallon in our new ship, I never noticed that I had a bit of blood sprinkled on my hand. It smeared as I went about my normal routine on a new ship, learning everything I could about it, but the blood was still there. A normal human, a normal being, would take notice. I did not. I had nothing to truly recognize the lives I just ended because I didn't recognize any other than my own. My own? I truly possess something that I can recognize. Or am I lying to myself? When the mirror finally shatters, I hope to all the ends of the universe that I still know who I am, because nothing more than a reflection can help me so._****

Once again, we were on a course to no where. Literally. We just drifted endlessly. With Tallon IV in our wake, our list of destinations dropped to zero. Adam hadn't said anything to me since we both verified that we were stable since the shootout. He was probably still going through his databases and linking everything together and doing things I couldn't possibly understand. My armor was lifeless, too, sitting in its holding place in my room as if it had never been worn. As I removed myself from it, my arm scraped against a dent in the shoulder. I thought nothing of it and, as far as I knew, neither did anyone else.

"Adam," I began, "care to open the lore entry for me?"

Adam said nothing, but his activity lights were still flashing. I faintly heard his intercom perk up, but it was drowned out by a loud humming from the internal chambers of the ship.

"That doesn't sound good."

Adam sprang to life. "Neither does what I'm about to tell you. I'd love to open the lore for you and let you make your way to Chozo heaven, but it seems like we have a slight problem. The cannon fodder you killed back on Tallon IV clearly did not know how to fill up the ship with maximum energy."

Great. We were running low on fuel and we are in the middle of space. Sure, we could go refuel in any number of locations. I'm sure the Federation wouldn't mind, even though I'm wanted dead or alive according to them and coming within miles would be like writing a death wish.

"What do you suppose we do?" I asked.

"Refuel. We can't go much farther with what we have." Adam said.

"Thanks, Captain Obvious. I never would have guessed."

I wasn't sure if Adam could literally sigh, but if he could, that's what he'd be doing. "Obviously, Samus, obviously. Either we drift endlessly until we crash land on someone's moon...or we take the closest exit."

"And what is this exit, then?" I asked.

"Elex 4."

"The waterworld?"

"The very same. The largest in this sector. It has a ridiculous amount of fuel reserves that have only been discovered within the past few centuries. The settlers there have no contact with anyone truly important except that they are all extremely rich from all the fuel they sell. I doubt they'd report us showing up, but we'd be long gone before anyone hears of it."

I smiled and let him put in the coordinates to make our way there. Elex 4 was certainly a sight to behold, if I had seen it before. The books talked highly about it, but I'm sure I never remembered reading about the fuel monopoly Adam mentioned.

Still, text in books never compared to what I witnessed when we arrived. It was truly a waterworld. Land was nonexistent. And when I say nonexistent, I mean it. No land masses at all. The planet could have been The Garden for all I knew. It was absolutely stunning. The blue waters were permanently deep and forever spanning the lengths of the world. The star nearby made the waters sparkle and shine brightly into space. It was truly one of the most beautiful wonders of the universe.

My heart felt a bit lighter as we approached the waters of Elex 4. For the first time in recent memory, I was content. I hoped that we didn't have to leave this place for a while. It couldn't have been more than a gas station for us, but I wanted it to be the luxurious destination that we were searching for.

I shook my head, but the feeling never went away. Elex 4 was different. Tallon IV's lush overworld was nothing compared to this. As we got closer, the crystal-blue waters of the planet became so overwhelming that I thought I'd drown in them. I almost wish I could.

"Establish contact with Elex 4 Alpha Station, Adam." I said.

"Already confirming."

Static buzzed over the loudspeakers in the control room. They were pretty prompt in returning our call. They must want their money fast.

"Welcome to Elex 4. You are arriving at the planet's largest refuel station. Please hold while we put you through to our control tower."

"I hate automated voices," Adam snarled. "They make a bad name for us. I can't help but wonder why intellects like myself exist while people still use voice mail."

"Contacting GF Ranger 64-X, come in Ranger 64-X."

Adam beat me to the communication. "Control Tower, I read you loud and clear. Permission to dock and fuel?"

"Permission granted. Take dock 5-AB and you'll be guided through there."

"Thank you."

Our ship docked and we were greeted delightfully. I was relieved to find that the now-dead troopers were carrying heaping sums of money and it was more than enough to pay for all the fuel we needed. We didn't even need to leave the ship, though I certainly wanted to.

"Care to get a better view?" I asked as my power suit wrapped around my body. I heard a click and I knew Adam was already in my internal systems. He knew I already knew. With that, I made my way outside and it was certainly a better view.

The station was certainly the largest, but it wasn't one of the few. In fact, Elex 4 was covered with thousands of these stations and nothing else. The planet's population was few, but all of them lived on one of these stations, each holding a massive city within the establishment's refineries. I was surprised to see how good the living conditions were considering the world's only way of making a profit.

Our dock gave us a perfect view of the endless water that reached over the horizon. Schools of fish unlike any I had ever seen arched out of the water and slid back in unison. They created rainbows over the surprisingly calm surface of cold water. I was still as overjoyed as when the planet came into view. I'm sure Adam wouldn't have minded if I plunged into the abyss with my suit on, but I'm sure some of the residents and workers would have found it odd to see a robotic figure bounding in their waters.

"Samus, back in the ship." Adam demanded.

And there went all my happiness.

"Way to kill a mood. We aren't even fully fueled yet. What could I possibly want in the ship?

"Look up."

And I did. And I wished I hadn't. The alarm would sound. And I wish it hadn't. And I'd have to put myself and others in peril. And I had no reason to be afraid of it.****


	17. Chapter 14

Chapter 14

_Allies are useless. What good is a partner that will just turn on you anyways? It doesn't matter who you are or what you've done. Everyone only looks out for themselves. That's why I do the same. I'm only human. I cannot trust anyone or anything in this life. Not one. They have their own agendas and, thus, so do I. And if they get in the way, my agenda still takes priority._

But...

_I...I have Adam._

__"Samus, I truthfully and honestly hate to break your moment of gazing into the waters hoping to find some lost quarters or a new species of coral, but you must return to the ship."

How could anyone have known we were here? It isn't possible. There is absolutely no way that anyone could have found out that fast. Was someone trailing us? Did these grease monkeys spill the beans as we pulled in? So much for a welcome mat! Traitors, all of them. At least it seemed like they were at the very least concerned. Who would sound an alarm for something they know is coming?

I moved so quickly into the ship that my feet never felt like they touched the ground. The whereabouts of the innocents and whatever they were doing was of no concern to me. I'm sure Adam cringed in some way when I knocked over a small child in my dash across the platform. Probably because I had no idea it had happened and he was the first to make me aware of it. At least I'm still concerned about my own well-being.

As soon as I landed on the control seat, Adam had already made his way back into the mainframe of of the vessel and was running millions of calculations. The ship still wasn't moving, however.

I slammed my fist on the armrest. "Adam, get her up in the air, now!"

The ship clumsily pushed out of the barricades of the refuel station, knocking away the contraptions that had just finished with the full refuel of the ship. No one shook their fists in lack of payment, however. The object barreling towards the surface of the waterworld was far more important.

The stolen GF ship finally straightened itself out and began to hug the waters of Elex 4 before rising towards the outer skies of the planet, just as the object hurtling in the other direction came into view.

"Lady," Adam said as his voice came over the intercom. "That's not Federation. Or Space Pirate."

"Well, what is it then? People don't just leave ships lying around in orbit of a refueling planet. And we were just out there less than an hour ago!"

The deep blue skies of Elex 4 began to fade away as the GF Ranger vessel pushed its way into space, completely disregarding the heavy clouds of space dust that commonly appear around the planet every few cycles.

Wait, dust clouds? These are way too heavy to be just of space dust. What in the hell are we flying into?

"Engaging evasive maneuvers," Adam said. "I'm not waiting for an invitation to move out of the asteroid's path."

But that wasn't an asteroid either. That too was a ship. They were all ships. All eleven of them. Broken into millions of pieces and all headed indefinitely to the waters of Elex 4.

Just as I start to enjoy something, it has to be taken away.

"Adam, are you getting any active visuals? Something had to have had caused this," I said.

I tried to scan the huge mess above the water planet as we swerved around the mass of debris and materials to gain a better view. But there was nothing more than busted ships and busted parts. Some looked like they had collided into each other, but others seemed to have been literally torn apart in one fell swoop.

"Well, seems like they won't be launching that mining expedition today," Adam reported. "The identification tags on these ships, or what's left of them for that matter, suggest that they were part of a large mining caravan, possibly heading to the Galaor asteroid chain. All of this is extremely recent. That ship that sounded the alarms must have been destroyed only moments before it entered orbit. They were very, very close. Almost too close."

That just didn't make any sense. Why would any of those ships get so close to Elex 4 for its orbit to take their destroyed vessels hostage?

"What about those tears," I asked.

"I have no idea. Whatever it was, it seemed like it had absolutely no trouble running through those ships. None whatsoever."

And as we tried to get a better view, it landed on one of the main cameras of the ship. It was miniscule. Bulging, but ever so slightly. Barely alive, if it had the capacity to live at all. But it stuck to the camera lens.

It was an X.


	18. Chapter 15

Chapter 15

_One's worst nightmare is quite possibly what comes back from the unknown. After you've defeated all of what drives your fears, only to see it existing again brings a shiver to your spine. Well, at least mine, that is. I guess that's why I was so struck by fear when I finally confronted Ridley on the Bottle Ship. He was a being of the unknown as far as I was concerned, but though I had taken him down time and time again, it was the first time that I had come to the realization that Ridley was not a force I could just put down, but one that I had to live with._

And that's probably why I had to bring myself to actually living with such a thing. And that's probably why killing the Ridley clone on the BSL station was nothing unique like the rest of the them.

_Yet, at the same time, I'm also scared of something that has also come back from the unknown._

_Adam._

__The blob on the camera screen was indeed an X. A wriggling mass of living gel, too empowered by its ability to stick to the smooth surface of the lens to make any attempt at acknowledging its chaotic surroundings. The glob of matter pulled and pulled at the side of the camera, trying to pull itself onto a safer surface as a piece of debris struck its entirety. Bits of other X latched onto this one and were absorbed into the yellow mass, but did not seem to contribute to its body at all.

"I'd go into detail, but I'm afraid you know all too well what that is, Samus." said Adam.

Why is there a free-floating X in this part of the sector? These X cannot possibly survive the vacuum of space, as far as we know, but there it was, maintaining its gruesome presence on the camera lens as I continued to stare at it.

Adam continued. "I don't believe you and my father ran any missions together against these things, correct?"

"F-father? What do you mean your father?" I asked.

"Well, I did not stutter, Samus, but I meant-"

The ship rocked. An explosion in the rear. I double-checked. Just outside of it. Adam's tracking system's must have picked up a piece of debris that had some volatile materials in it. Still, it was quite an explosion. The debris must have gotten awfully close to the ship, but we had stayed far enough away to be clear of it. Either that debris got a mind of its own or something sent it there.

Or it wasn't debris at all.

"I've got movement. But it's pretty fast and intermittent." said Adam.

If there was any point that I needed time to think, it was now. But there was no time for that and I knew it just as much as whatever that blip on the radar did. There wasn't much I could do but await the attack and wait for it I did. The ship rocked again and Adam threw out a few calculations on the damage on the ship knowing that it wasn't worth the memory. I'm sure it would have been in the future, but it wasn't much of a ship and it sure as hell wasn't mine.

Then again, I wasn't expecting it to give itself much of an introduction when it showed up, so it was to my surprise to find the source of the destruction and havoc to make itself known after busting through the swing door of the cockpit. It stood what could have only been a few yards away from me, far too concerned with the declining state of the ship to let me leave its gaze. My cannon was already primed.

"Well," said Adam. "I guess I'll let you two get to know each other. But, from the looks of it, it seems that has already been the case."

At least it won't be able to take me down like it could have last time. And I'm sure I'll have to take it out differently, too.

The figure raised its right arm, still cloaked in the dust and debris of the blown-open doorway. Whether or not it would settle did not concern me, I still knew what the glow of its arm meant.

Plasma.

The first shot burnt the very air it ripped through, but I was already in a ball before it even reached the control panel it would destroy. Adam was not very happy about it, but I'd be damned if I would call for repair before taking that thing out. Adam would have to worry about it later.

Another shot glazed a nearby computer screen, but was nowhere near me. Was this thing playing with me? Could it have developed the capacity to do so? Or was it trying to destroy the ship, not me? Am I no longer a threat or does it not know what a threat is?

"Alright, I'm done watching a duck hunt, can you do something about our guest here, Lady?"

I hope he wasn't worrying too much. I was already racing towards my adversary before he could finish that sentence and almost felt it a bit too predictable to just roll right up to it. But it still never moved, save for a small stumble onto its back leg after firing a third shot, that one scorching the floor off to my right. And it still never moved after I planted a few bombs near its feet.

It finally moved. The explosions of the bombs sent it flying into a wall.

"That'll do it." chimed Adam.

It didn't get back up and it sure had no way of doing so. It's lower body was completely ruptured. All that remained was a cluster of goo and a few stray X parasites flying off. The rest of its body had the same qualities. More X continued to break off from its armor and damaged body parts. It heaved before collapsing into a pile of X, all of which burst from their counterparts and raced towards me. I felt a bit of a tingle as the X were absorbed into my body. The effect wasn't much of what it used to be.

Adam debriefed me on the damage of the ship. It was enough to keep my attention until he disclosed that the ship was still usable, so after that point my mind drifted off back into the sea of thoughts it was usually caught up in.

The X were still alive. And still capable. But, what exactly it was truly capable of was still unknown. This was truly not the extent of what that point could be.

"It is truly an odd sight. Past reports described the X as being much more resilient in their copying. There's a lot wrong with this picture here, Samus." Adam explained.

"I know, Adam...I know." There wasn't much I could add. He knew as much as I did. He was there on the BSL with me. Everything I knew, he knew, too. Maybe even more. His consciousness was there when the decision was made to investigate SR-388. He was one of the many AI to help with that decision.

"Adam, when you and the rest of the council that decided to go to SR-388, did you all weigh the risk of realizing an X outbreak?" I asked.

"What do you mean? I was not on that council, my father's AI was." he replied.

"Why do you keep saying that? You were there. You're Adam, not your father!"

"Yes he is. Adam Sr. And I'm Adam Jr., Samus. I thought that's why you were calling me Adam. Weren't you aware of this?"

No. No I wasn't. I was not aware of Adam having a son. And him being dead, too.


	19. Chapter 16

_Knowledge is at the root of every problem, every joy, every suffering, every span of life. People live for it, die for it, kill for it and exist because of it. Though, in many cases, they don't exist because of it. At least, not anymore. I guess it's alright to be afraid of knowledge, yet constantly yearn for it at the same time. It's not always about what you learn, but the fact that you know it. It's a wonder to feel included. To share in the knowledge._

So when you aren't sharing that knowledge, either something is wrong with the situation or something is wrong with you.

I guess I really had nothing to say at that point. Half the ship could have been blown away, but I really wasn't concerned with it. I didn't know what to worry about because I wasn't sure of anything. Not anymore. How much was I not told? Or was I just not to be told? It was safe to say that when it came to the Federation, I sure wasn't in the loop anymore. I was beginning to miss the old days when it became a top priority to tell me everything because I was a top priority myself. I just guess that luxury only comes when those knowledgeable people need you. Well, need you alive, I presumed.

"Our best option is to head towards your third emergency contact, Samus." said Adam.

"Third? Why third?"

"Your first two are Federation. And this one is the closest that we can intercept with using an Evac Pod. For someone trying to stay under the radar, he doesn't seem very concerned with people knowing his location."

"Well," I replied, "if you know him, you'd understand why."

"Samus, I'm truly sorry that you didn't know. I thought you were well aware of it and just didn't push the issue."

"Well aware? I was told that you were the AI based off of my commanding officer, not his son!"

No, I was not told. I'm sure he wasn't well aware of it and just didn't push the issue.

I sighed. "Can you please just explain to me what the hell is going on here?"

"Sure Samus, sure. When your ship was given to you after the asteroid crash destroyed your previous one, the BSL was developing AI for the exact purpose of being used in ships. I was immediately sent to your ship because I was the closest one to completion. My father was never going to be put into your ship and be your personal AI and, even if he was in line for it, he was still being used in the same council used to make the decision you mentioned earlier."

"What isn't complete about you?" I asked.

"AI units are essentially memory backups. However, a complete AI only contains what is necessary to complete its objectives, not to become more human. And because all AI systems are created based off of some post-existing memory backup of a human that had just died, they all contain every part of said person. The Federation only wants a complete one, so they erase everything that isn't needed. I'm not at that stage yet, since I still contain most of my memories deemed unnecessary by the Federation.

"Unlike most AI units, I can still remember my first day of school."

"But even if you were Adam's son, I would have at least heard about soldiers dieing in combat if I didn't know you existed." I said.

"I didn't die in combat. Quite frankly, I don't remember how I died. No AI does. Remember, we are memory backups and most memory backups are taken well before death, though sometimes just before. Regardless, no backup can be created after death, so the most recent one has to become before someone kicks the bucket. Some are just lucky enough to be backed up close to death so they at least have a good idea of how they went. I truly have no ideas as to why I am here."

"This still doesn't make sense!" I shouted. "You call me Lady. Only your father does that!"

He paused. "Not entirely. He called my mother that before she died of ovarian cancer when I was in the Academy. I vaguely remember my grandmother and one of my aunt's being referred to as 'Lady' as well. I never liked the sound of it, by the way. It was just something I grew up with."

I wondered if that was just an excuse to cover up caring for someone. Adam, and apparently his son, was always one to cover emotions. I knew this far too well and so did everyone else that served under him. Adam never showed emotion, but he always got his messages across. I always knew he had a reason to call me what he did, so maybe it wasn't so much of a coincidence that his son began to say it, too.

"By the way," he continued. "Those were X parasites if you didn't remember. I'm sure you do, but just to be clear, my father wouldn't have been much of a help. His backup is a lot more basic than mine is."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"According to my records, the backup I am made of is very close to my deathbed. My father's wasn't. I've heard of the Federation picking and choosing backup installations to see what they can use the best. If there was something they do not want him to remember, it's likely they revived the backup that was never involved with it." he said.

"Plus, the existence of the X parasites weren't truly realized until you showed up on SR-388. Rather, until you killed all the Metroids. Before then, they were so few in numbers that the data on them was less significant than the menu at the Federation meal house on Orarion. And that menu changes biweekly, I believe."

The Federation sure as hell didn't want Adam to be aware of the Bottle Ship incident, but how could anyone let them manipulate someone like that? Forcing them to remember some things and never even realize they were a crucial part in another. That Adam may not even remember who I am if they backed him up from an installation too early in his lifetime. He may not even remember his son.

"Well, let's get going. We aren't going to be exactly calling in advance. I'm sure he'd rather welcome us before he goes to sleep. And he sleeps a lot." I said.

"I've already got the coordinates locked in. Should be intercepting his ship within two hours unless he decides to move off-course. Though, then again, it doesn't look like he's in any hurry to get where he is going." Adam commented.  
"I'm sure he really isn't going anywhere." I said.

"Who is this guy anyway, Samus? Is this a one night stand or the leftovers of a long distance relationship?"

"Neither, you idiot. He's a good friend of mine. He was at your father's funeral." I replied.

"It says here that he has quite the criminal record. Dates back at least a decade."

"I'm well aware."

***

About ten days after the incident at the Bottle Ship, the Federation held a funeral for the death of my commanding officer, Adam Malkovich. The explosion he created to destroy Sector Zero, and subsequently ended his life because of it, made sure that his body was never found, though I'm sure that was not his intention. All that was left was debris, dust and organic materials floating in a ball throughout space. Hundreds of miles from the ship, the collective space garbage was found.

We never saw any of what remained at the funeral. Just a casket.

It was raining that day, but no one minded the outdoors. Even the heavens wept for him. I felt like I should be up there, not him. There was no reason for him to die. There was no reason for him to be involved in any of what happened to him that day. It was not his time to go and we all knew that.

As I sat in a chair during the beginning ceremonies of the funeral, I scanned the people around me. I shuffled in my chair a bit as I did, uneasy due to the feeling of the chair against my black dress. I wanted the cushioned padding of my suit, not the bare warmth of plastic held together by steel. Thankfully it was dry because of the dome above us, but if I had my suit on, I wouldn't mind the rain chipping away at me. I never had.

And when I did finally get to look at everyone around me, I truly realized the life Adam had. All of these people were so close to him, even if they weren't family. And he had quite the family judging from how many people were there. Friends wept along with them, as did I, and I recognized a few of them from the Academy.

I never greeted them. I was not one of them anymore.

Anthony did find me, though. I wanted to be alone, but his presence was okay. And he always found me, no matter where I hid. Such an odd quality for a giant of a man like him, always searching around for people like a little kid looking for a four leaf clover. I guess he felt that he found one.

"You doing okay, Samus?" he asked.

"Yeah, always. What about you?"

"He was a great man, he truly was. But he's in a better place now and I'm sure he's enjoying it. Though he's probably giving out orders, not trying to relax in paradise." he said, a grin quickly growing on his face.

I couldn't help but laugh at his resilient humor. But the more I thought of Adam, the more my heart sank. I smiled and hugged Anthony, getting almost crushed by his superhuman-like strength, then walked off. Anthony's grin went away. He missed Adam just as much as I did.

"Higgs, quite a sight, huh?"

Anthony turned to find just as equal a sight: Dakota Excolo.

"Well, look what we got here," said Anthony. "I thought you wouldn't make it."

"It's not like I was invited or anything. But the man deserves my respect. I just wish I got some from him when he was around. I heard he was giving some away, but I'm not good enough, I guess." Dakota replied.

"Maybe if you weren't you, you'd have some." said Anthony.

"True, but I'm fine with who I am, aren't you?"

Anthony sighed. "You really shouldn't be here you know. The feds are probably scouting this place out as we speak.

"Already way ahead of you, actually," said Dakota with a laugh. "They already have this place surrounded. When this all ends, they'll be all over this place just as I'm getting ready to leave. But they won't do anything during the ceremonies. Bad publicity, you know?"

"That still doesn't mean you should be here. They'll probably add another charge to your record. Another few years, most likely."

"Another few years to a life imprisonment isn't much." replied Dakota. He grabbed a finger food on a nearby plate and began to point at Anthony after he finished. "You know, it is quite ridiculous actually. I get more years for stealing a ship or two than someone else does for blowing up an orphanage. Bias, I tell you."

"Well, I could help you out. It won't be much, but twenty to thirty years is much better than what you have now. I could pull some strings and maybe they'll let you off easy. But you'd have to turn yourself in, Dakota."

"Thanks but no thanks, Higgs." Dakota said. "I do enjoy the life I lead. It's much more thrilling. Plus, if I really wanted to, I could pull the strings myself and get off with maybe five years at the most. No one would know who is pulling the strings, but they would be pulled. I mean, it was the least I could do for the old man back there."

"I'm lost. What do you mean?" Anthony asked.

"The Federation planned to have Malkovich buried on Arcadia, but this place is more suiting for him. Only the best military minds are here. I don't know why the those galactic assholes wanted him there, but it didn't take much to get him where he needs to be."

"That's...oddly kind of you. Who knew you actually had a heart?" said Anthony.

"Yeah, beats the hell out of me."

I saw the two finish their conversation. Anthony walked off and Dakota did as well. I didn't greet him, either. It had been too long and he probably wasn't in the best situation to be talking to another bounty hunter. If only he had kept himself straight, it wouldn't be such a tough situation to do so.

Thankfully, he didn't miss what ended up being a beautiful and honorable ceremony for Adam. It's how he would have wanted it to be. When the casket was lowered into the ground, the horns of the military blaring into the air, I couldn't help but shed a tear for my commanding officer. Neither could anyone else. He meant too much to all of us not to.

I wished upon that tear as hit hit the ground. I wished that he would always look over me.

I hope he got my message.

"Come on guys, it's a funeral. No need for violence. I truly don't want to be sending you all home broken. Then again, maybe it'll look honorable in your debriefing. Trying to defend the innocent from a psychotic ex-bounty hunter. How awesome is that?"


	20. Chapter 17

_I've wondered what the purpose of memories are. Not the ones that remind you how to ride a bike, to speak to someone, to kiss someone. The ones that are of the best experiences of your life. The memories you'll always cherish and remember with a fondness that yearns of wanting to relive them once more. Why do they taunt us so?Why do we desire what is not possible? Why is it that I still have these memories, though they are so close to being tainted by the rest of the world locked inside my mind, begging to be freed from the onset of sure infestation._

I guess I need at least something to keep my humanity.  


As we approached our destination, I became anxious. Nervous even. I couldn't help but focusing on every little bit of data that whimsically streamed across the numerous monitors around the cockpit. I wasn't looking for anything in particular, just for something to keep me from thinking about where we were going. Adam didn't make himself present much at all during the trip. Whether or not that was because of what happened earlier was not of much publicity. I didn't ask if it was and I had no reason to. Even so, I could feel my fingers twitching at the very thought of where we were headed, even when I tried to think about Adam.

The man was unpredictable and he's been getting worse.

"ETA rounds out to about five minutes, Samus." said Adam. For the few moments he had spoken to me since, he hasn't called me by my nickname.

"Alright. Can you bring up any sort of visual? If it's anything more than just nothingness, I want to know about it." I replied.

The main window switched to its screen mode, showing our stolen ship amongst the endless stars of space with the occasional bouts of space dust looming in the distance of light-years away. It was hard to imagine where exactly we were, but I figured that was probably why our contact finds himself here. In such a remote part of space, why bother with intruders? You wouldn't have any.

"The ship isn't visible," Adam began. "It's resting right in the middle of a giant dust cloud. Nothing harmful, but you won't find him unless you want to trade paint."

The stars flew back, our ship forward, but only on the screen. As we traveled at our pace, the screen found itself a large column of space dust not too far away. The coordinates matched: the ship was indeed resting inside of it. The dust wasn't moving either, so neither was he. Resting motionless inside the cover of space was just as he was probably taking another one of his many naps or enjoying the day being absolutely by himself. I could never figure out why he was so capable of doing so.

"When we approach, we'll have to clear some of the dust away. We can open up a channel, but he may not respond if he can't see us," said Adam.

"And, by the way, Samus," he said, cutting off my reply. "Tell me again why exactly we are seeing this guy? You said he's nuts."

I sighed. "He's not crazy. He's broken. But he's our only help as of right now. We can't go anywhere else."

"Of course we can. We just refueled and we're in the middle of nowhere. We have all directions to go in. Plus, if we end up reading the lore, he'll find out. And, again, you said he's crazy. He'll probably think we're crazier than he is."

The lore! I had completely forgotten about it. I couldn't help but shake my head at my stupidity. I mean, I had had it on my mind the entire time, but I was afraid of it not being worth anything at all. But right now, it had completely escaped me. And again I remembered how afraid I was of reading it. It could be a key to our way out or nothing more than a reciting of things lost. The Chozo had to have left me something. This couldn't be the end of our journey. I wasn't ready for that.

"Fine. Then how about this: we read the lore now and if it gives us another option, we won't pursue this one. But if it doesn't, we continue. Agreed?" I asked.

"Negative. You can't read the lore on this ship. This isn't your ship, it's a Federation ship. This thing may not even have a decoder like your suit has and you gunship had. And even if it does have a decoder, then we'd be out of luck. All data usage is streamed right to a Federation array, which is why I have to delete every bit of data we get before it is sent to the array. I can only delete and re-confirm certain kinds of data, like coordinates, so we still have those. I cannot do the same for most other things, like that lore. If we read it, either the Federation gets its hands on it, too, or I delete it permanently." he said.

He continued. "We'll have to find another ship to decode it on or you'll have to download it to your suit. But we can't download it to your suit without the proper transmitter, which this ship also doesn't have. It's pretty much a piece of junk. Thanks for stranding me in it."

"Relax," I said. "We'll just have to figure something out."

Yeah we would. We need the information in the lore, even if it is useless. At least we'd know what exactly it holds. But I cannot let that lore be on that ship. At least, not with the pilot knowing. He'd want in and I can't exactly trust him. I don't know his plans, I don't even know if he has any plans. And I'm sure he's not in the best of shape. He's losing it and that unpredictability does not bode well with my attempts at salvation. This lore cannot get into the wrong hands or my future may not actually exist anymore.

"Do you have a plan, Lady?" He called me Lady...

"I-I...I don't think so," I replied.

"Well," he said. "We could try to send the lore over to his ship without him knowing, then somehow have you download it to your suit from there and then delete the lore from his ship entirely."

"That'll work?" I asked.

"Of course. But if you don't want him knowing about it, you'll have to distract him and I can't go with you to distract him. I have to stay here to send the data over and then delete it immediately. So if this doesn't work, the only person who will have the lore is him, not even us."

Was it worth it to lie to him? He could be of help, maybe he needs to know. But I still can't trust him. I hate this uneasiness about him!

"It's risky,"I said. "However, it may be worth the risk. I just cannot trust him with this information and we need it now."

"Alright then. You'll have only a limited amount of time to do this before I send the data over and you have to be aware of how much time is elapsed to check on it, because I can't notify you when its being sent over from this ship. Damn it do I wish we had the gunship." he said.

I didn't know if I could do this. It was dangerous, both in the fact that we could lose our only way out of the mess and that I could lose my life. I was walking into something worse than a minefield. If we were found out, he could either be perfectly okay with it or not have a problem ripping my heart out. The latter was probably the most plausible.

"We're just outside of the dust cloud," Adam said. My armor was already on. My heart was pounding. So was his, if he had one.

"Get in there, get the lore and get out. Don't do anything rash and do not change the plan unless you have a damn good reason for it. Any objections, Lady?"

I wasn't sure.


	21. Chapter 18

_I've felt more uncomfortable outside of my armor than in it. It's one thing to roam freely in your own skin and clothes, and another to be a walking tank. Surely it's not an icebreaker, or maybe it is, but I'd rather be safe than sorry. Most people want what you have, what you can offer, what you can do for them. There's nothing like giving the message that all I can give them is a hole in the wall and stuffing them through it. Maybe into the vacuum of space, even._

"It's very simple, Samus. When you get in, you'll need to hook up your suit to a priority alpha jack, which should be right near the control panel of his system. It's color-coded with red and yellow stripes. Plug in just before the data arrives, the download should take only thirty seconds or so. Then destroy the lore, I don't care how you do it. Blow up the ship if you have to, just make sure you and your copy of the lore get back in one piece."

I hoped Adam wanted me back in one piece. I couldn't tell if he was angry at me somehow, maybe for how I reacted. No, that's not like him, neither him nor his father. He wouldn't wish the death upon someone else...how could I even get to that consideration? Of course he wouldn't, especially if that person is me! I need to stop thinking about this.

"There's two ways we can do this," Adam said. "Either we hail him and manually dock or you climb on-board by yourself. Docking is obviously safer, but if we need to escape that may get a bit rough. On the other hand, going through that dust cloud on your own might as well be a death sentence, but once you're off the ship with the lore, there's not much he can do about it. Then again, he may find it suspicious."

"We can't dock. If we dock, he can just lock us in or pursue us immediately," I said.

"Alright," he replied. A door slid open to my right. "Depressurize, Samus. Your jets have plenty of juice to get you there and back, maybe even some safety maneuvers if need be. Just don't be careless."

Yes, because I go into every mission hoping for the sloppiest of outcomes.

I entered the room and the door slid shut as fast as it opened. Standard procedure, as always. The room became quickly inhumane, but I couldn't tell the difference. Vacuums might as well be atmosphere as far as I'm concerned. The lack of gravity would definitely be a problem, though. As in, the complete non-existence of it when I get out there.

The room opened up into the bleak darkness of space, but most of my view was covered by the enormous dust cloud only hundreds of yards away. Specs of stardust wrapped around my body as I held into the last bit of railing in the room. Some of it stuck to my armor, prompting me to somewhat forcefully brush a blob or two away. I was as close to hesitation as possible before I simply drifted out of the room. Even after several times in space, the feeling of actually being out there still put a lump in my stomach for a few moments, as it would anybody.

I pushed off the ship, floating ever so softly into the dust cloud. I could barely see where I was going, it was denser than the heaviest fog I've ever experienced. And I still had no idea where exactly the ship was. Plus I had to get his attention to actually let me into the ship, if he even was going to consider it. The closer I got into the heart of the cloud, the more unprepared I felt about this mission.

It was about ten minutes until I got the feeling that either this cloud was never-ending or that the ship just wasn't there. Maybe I missed it, this cloud is big enough to house maybe two dozen ships that size. He could literally be anywhere! Alright, I'm done with this.

I charged up my power beam and blasted a shot of energy into the cloud. Nothing. I turned and tried again. Nothing. God damn it, he's not here! But he has to be! That sign wasn't just an anomaly, maybe a ship-shaped one, but there's no way he isn't at least somewhere in this cloud! Fuck!

I began to shoot at random, firing endlessly into every direction the cloud expanded. Finally I heard something. Blast on metal. I fired again. Blast on metal. I may have found it.

"Adam, I think I found him!"

"..yo...ca...I...I can't...barely hear you..."

Damn. I'm too close to the center of this cloud. Though, it's a bit strange that a dust cloud would ruin the signal this badly. How big was this cloud?

"S...Sam...Samus? Samus? Are...okay?" Adam barely got through.

"Adam! If you can hear me, I'm heading toward the ship. Keep at what your doing, don't worry about me!"

My jets flashed on and I blasted off in whatever direction I had chosen. I honestly could not remember from which way I had come; a part of me was very desperate in hopes that Dakota would be just and sane, or at least welcoming. Or awake, that would be nice, too.

The dust stuck a bit to my visor, but most of the cloud began to part as I raced forward as fast as I could. I could feel a sense of urgency rising up in me. Either I'd reach the end of the cloud or some part of the ship. Or whatever is in here.

A large heat signature came up on my radar. It was coming in very fast. Rather, I was coming in very fast. Too fast, even.

...And it's the ship.

"The fuck?" Dakota rose from the floor, not too far from his usual sleeping place called the bed. Half-naked, he dragged himself out of his sleeping quarters and through his narrow, yet spacious ship. Whatever he had left out from the night before was now in his hand, and then promptly down his gullet, as he passed the kitchen.

"That's disgusting," a voice rang out through the ship.

"Didn't ask for your opinion, Gunnar."

"I didn't ask for your response."

"I wasn't even talking to you, idiot."

Dakota wiped his hands on his boxers. "Shut up, the both of you. I have a terrible headache and apparently something crashed into the ship, if you haven't noticed."

'"Hungover?" "Masturbation?"

"For fuck's sake, both of you shut the hell up or I'll run you on an outdated server and make you upload and download the same virus-filled files over and over again until you want to end your life-cycles," Dakota threatened.

"...hmm, been waiting a while to use that gem, huh?" One voice remarked.

"Yeah. Seems like you're not on your 'a-game' when you're hungover." Another said.

"I'm not hungover, I don't even have alcohol in this ship. You both are well aware of that. Why are you both being so annoying?"

"I don't know, maybe that whatever-it-is-that-hit-the-ship turned on Gunnar's annoying setting. Then again, I thought it didn't have an off setting." One of them started.

"Hah! At least I'm capable of being complex enough to have settings. You're parents were analog!"

"You take that back!"

Dakota shook his head and walked off, hoping for something in the kitchen that would either take his mind off of the others or would allow him to cause major brain damage so he wouldn't have to listen to their bickering. He returned to the main console with a sandwich, making him content for the time being.

"Alright, let's get to work here," Dakota started. "Gunnar, check the ship's status, make sure everything is per usual. Luther, find out what hit the ship, where it is, who it lives with, how much it spent at the grocery store last night, its opinion on politics and its social security number."

The bickering stopped and so did Dakota's headache. He sighed as he slouched in his chair, waiting for any results and not bothering to check windows or anything logical.

Gunnar finished first. "Ship seems absolutely fine, except the dent caused by whatever hit us."

Luther followed. "And whatever hit us is more like whoever. It's humanoid."

"If it's hostile, will you be able to fight it? You seem to be getting weaker," Gunnar said.

"I'll be fine, don't put thoughts like that into my head if you know what's good for you," Dakota snapped. He pressed a small nub of a button on the control panel before him and a small door popped open and quickly disappeared right before him. He reached into the tiny compartment and pulled out a purple pill about the size of the head of a thumbtack. Its shell rubbed off a bit on Dakota's fingertips as he pushed it into the bread of his last bite of sandwich, only to down it and the rest of his meal without any intention of chewing. Dakota's eyes lit up only a few moments later. He was ready for action.

"Loudspeaker, if you don't mind," Dakota requested.

Gunnar and Luther fell silent as the application ran.

Still no response from this ship. He must be sleeping, somehow. I prepared another charge into the hull of the ship when a slot opened at the top of the ship and out came a miniature dish. It extended, then stopped as a click and white noise came through with vibrations throughout the dust cloud.

"Attention all things outside my ship," the voice boomed through the cloud. "Please stop throwing yourself at my vehicle. Only I can do that. If you have a problem with that, please make your way in front of the cockpit so it'll be easier to shoot you. If you don't comply, we'll shoot you where you are. If you try to escape, we'll follow you, then shoot you."

Well, I figured my best option was to at least let him see who I am. Hopefully he'll recognize me in my armor. I drifted over towards the front of the ship, hoping he was bluffing. But it was hard to miss the large plasma rifle slowly emerging from the very tip of the ship. Now I was really hoping that he recognized me.

"...Samus? Samus, what are you doing floating around in space? Are you working for the postal service?"

I really had no idea what that meant, not even to respond to it. I instead motioned towards the doors in hopes that he'd let me inside. If I could get him to fall asleep again, there would be more than enough time to retrieve the lore...Shit! I hadn't been paying attention to how much time I had left!

"05:48"

That's definitely not enough time. I need to get in there immediately or all of this will be ruined!

Finally the doors opened and I made my way to the entrance as quickly as possible. I turned and pulled the doors closed before they could go through the slow process of automatically shutting themselves. Unfortunately I could not pressurize the room manually, but it saved me some time. When the room finally found itself fit, I knocked open the doors and swiftly made my way to the cockpit, taking my helmet off and whipping my hair back as I made my way in.

"Wait, you're a girl? Dakota gasped. He tapped playfully at his control panel. "But the guide refers to you as 'he'!"

"Very funny. Are you okay? You seem shaken up," I said.

"Considering you slammed into my ship making me think pirates were trying to steal my leftovers, yeah I'm a bit tense," he said, laughing it off ever so slightly.

He continued. "So, what brings you to this neck of the woods and how did you manage to get yourself here without a ship?"

"It's actually an emergency, so we have to hurry this up a bit."

"Emergency? You look fine to me."

"Civilians," I said." Two children and their mother. Found them stranded on a broken up ship not too far from here. One of the kids is bleeding out."

"And you thought floating over here would help how, exactly?"

"We were trying to send out an SOS, but the ship would only be able to receive answers if it isn't moving. We saw the signature of your ship in here and hoped you'd be able to help. I need to plug into your system to get data and coordinates. Almost all of my ship's resources are being used to keep those three alive."

"Well, we could dock and try to share resources if need be. Other than that, feel free to do whatever you want. Just don't mess with any of my settings, I spent like an hour last night making sure my optical retroverses would be efficient enough to blast music into the next sector without a return source. If I can't go on their lawn, those old people would have to listen to my music and enjoy it, too."

I walked past him and began to scour the panels for the port I needed. I checked my HUD for the time, only a minute and a half to go. Found the port, plugged in and ready to go. Now I just have to keep conversation until this data hits me and I'm out of here.

"Gunnar, Luther, check for the nearest eateries around here. I want to eat out tonight."

Wait, what? "Dakota, who are you talking to?"

"Gunnar and Luther, stellar and awesome AI, at your service, ma'am," they said simultaneously.

"...AI? You have AI on this ship?"

"Yeah, I had AI before it was mainstream," said Dakota. "They're copy-AI. I just copied my persona onto basic AI files and boom, two identities. Named them after these cats I had back on Hyrea V."

"We're named after cats?"

"You never told us this!"

I cannot believe this. They're going to see the data! Out of all the people to have AI, Dakota has it, and he has two of them! How am I going to get this lore?"

"00:10"

Shit.

"Dakota, seems like we're getting some data here. From a nearby ship, actually," Gunnar noted.

"This shit's pretty big, yo," Luther added.

"What is it?" Dakota asked.

"Don't know. Maybe your friend does, considering it's routed to her suit."

Dakota took a confused step towards me. Well, there goes this mission. But I have to get this lore out somehow. I have to bypass these AI and get out, but that's literally impossible. I cannot be in more of a terrible situation.

"Samus...tell me again, why are you on this ship?"

A slot slid open next me and emerging from it was a small memory chip. I checked my suit. All of the lore had completely missed me and was probably on that chip now. Those AI must have done it.

"Dakota, I can explain, honestly. It's a lot more complex than I can talk about right now, but-"

"You know," Dakota began, taking the memory chip just as I unplugged myself and stepped back. "As much as we go a ways back, I don't think using my ship in a suspicious way without telling me is very nice. How are those civilians on your ship? You think they're doing okay?" Dakota's body became blanketed in a white aura. "Maybe they'll be better off than you."

I'm getting out of this. And I'm leaving with the lore. I'm done with this. Conversation's over.

I leveled my arm cannon and fired. The memory chip flew up into the air as Dakota was flung through the air and slammed hard onto the ground. The white aura evaporated from his presence. Blood trickled from his abdomen when he came to rest on the ground, lifeless as a corpse.

"Dakota!"

"What in the fuck? Have you no manners?"

I grabbed the chip, then put my fist through the first door, ripped open raw metal, then put my fist through the second door. Fuck pressurization. The ship bounced back from the force of the vacuum of space, getting me caught up in the swell of pressure and throwing me in cartwheels through the dust cloud. I righted myself as I spun through the mass and blasted my way out of the cloud as fast as possible, the dust splitting right before me on my path to the outside.

"Sa-Sam...Samus. Samus. Are you there? I'm picking you up on my radar. Where's the lore?" Adam said.

"I have the lore, it's one piece. I'm fine, too. Can't say the same about my friends."

"Friends?"

"I'll explain later," I said as I burst out of the cloud, throwing dust every which way into the depths of space. I turned and found my ship thankfully within view, albeit a good distance away. As I began my flight back to the ship, an enormous explosion rattled my very body to its core. The cloud vibrated with the roar of the event. Several moments later, out in the distance, a devastatingly damaged ship silently drifted out of the cloud, quiet and calm as the indifferent space around it.

"Get back inside," Adam began. "I don't know what you did, but we shouldn't stick around to here their case."

"Actually, I think we'll be fine," I said.

I drifted casually towards my ship, noticing that dust particles began to move towards the cloud at an odd rate, almost being magnetically pulled. More and more dust streamed by me towards the cloud that was getting more packed and firm with space dust. It began to glimmer and shit, jiggle and shake, and come together in a blob. The cloud looked like a swirling ball of goo, collecting bits and pieces of the destroyed ship in it, which were clearly visible through the semi-transparent, yellow body of the mass.

Suddenly, a ship piece flew out of the core of the mass and raced towards me. My jets flared and I barely thrust away before becoming one with the heaping metal chunk of debris.

"On that note, Samus, I'd really considering thinking this whole, 'taking your time thing'. Just saying."


	22. Chapter 19

_There is, of course, the problem of what exactly the X is. How did they evolve to become what they are today? What potential do they have? That there is the million-dollar question – the same one that the Federation wanted to answer back at the laboratory. Will it ever be answered? Can it be answered? It's quite possible that, if it is, we won't be around to witness the results. As a race, it's likely humanity, maybe all sentient life, will be just part of the means to reach an end, an end no one but the X will realize._

It felt as if I had been eaten by an enormous monster, as if I was being thrown around by the walls of the stomach, thrashing in acidic goo that only spelled out my demise as I tried my best to writhe my way out of it. This was something I had no experiences to look back to – the gigantic, golden blob that had formed around me was almost majestic, but equally as terrifying.

I began to power up my boosters once again, and after a few shots of my cannon, I set my sights on getting out of this mess. Several globs began to stick to the exits of my jets and cannon, throwing my trajectory way out of line. I resorted to punching at the goo, but all it would do was jiggle and shake at my futile attempts.

Before it was merely a large blanket that seemed to occupy the area around me, but now it became a solid mass, almost like gelatin, that suffocated space. Every single part of my suit was now in contact with the stuff.

"Samus," Adam said, "you need to get out of there before it creeps into your suit. It won't be long before external systems will begin to fail."

Heeding his warning, I quickly scraped at the opening of my arm cannon, managing to get a small pocket of space wide enough to allow my power beam to fire. A blast went off and ripped through the mass, but the path it left behind was quickly filled in as fast as it was made.

Alright, this is my last shot. I rolled into morph ball mode and immediately engaged a power bomb. It sank into the gelatinous mass as the countdown progressed toward zero. The mass began to muffle the ticking of the bomb.

"There's a good chance it might not detonate!" Adam shouted. But just then, a deafening boom shattered my train of thought. Vibrations carried throughout the mass, in reaction it wriggled and shook violently, throwing my body around helplessly.

As the giant blob pulsed, I found myself being slowly forced towards the outer areas of the blob. I wretched my body around and fired as rapidly as I could at the middle of the mass, causing more ripples and waves.

Finally, just as I could see the untainted space around the mass within reach, I charged up one final blast and shredded a gaping hole in the blob. The hole began to close up, but not before I ripped myself out from its innards. The mass grabbed at my leg, but I shook myself free.

The blob shrieked. It began to pull at itself and bulge, with several long masses resembling tentacles began to shoot out of the mass. But they had no intention of attacking me. They acted almost independently of the rest of the mass, trying desperately to rip themselves away from the entire ordeal. They almost seemed to wreathe in pain before diving back into the mass, either being pulled in by the mass itself or unable to will themselves free from the control of the hive. Or whatever this gelatinous thing was. It was certainly an X, but never one I had seen before. At the very least, none that had ever acted this way before me. Or was this large.

...

"This is, as you should understand, a solo mission."

The officer paused. "Well, sir, actually we have an entire squad readied for this mission and-"

"A solo mission."

The officer stood down, frozen by the response. He stood aside as the tall, ponytailed soldier walked off, casting an intimidating shadow down the corridor that forced other officers to stand straighter than the previous. His boots clanked against the metal floors of the ship with a severe indifference to the surrounding operations. Hunched over, insectoid workers slaved over several monitors and installations that streamed data of ridiculous amounts. In several other rooms, workers put the finishing touches on categorizing and managing stockpiles of weapons. The tall figure, however, continued to walk indifferently.

Weavel Xeron had no time to stop and take a look at what was going on around him. The hub ship, dubbed _Ultimatum Ready_, was a marvelous piece of engineering, very much outclassing most Space Pirate vessels. Pods continually shot out of and returned to the ship, resembling an ant hill subtly floating in space while the nastiest of plans were being created within its depths. Weavel was part of them.

Anyone in tune with Space Pirate history surely could not have seen this coming. Despite the constant destruction of both their plans and facilities, as well as the corruption brought upon by Dark Samus, the Space Pirates were only sent reeling for a short period of time. Ridley, whom was never officially in full command of the Space Pirates at any given time previously, had taken over all operations and organized the once feral and disassociated space bandits into an underground force that was buzzing with activity that no one, not even the Galactic Federation, was aware of. _Ultimatum Ready _was a testament to this progress, as it served as the main site of the beginnings of a huge majority of Space Pirate operations. In essence, _Ultimatum Ready_ was the new Planet Zebes.

"So I see that you do not necessarily agree with the plans I have in store for this mission, is that correct General?"

Weavel fully stepped into the room. The door slid closed behind him as Superior Trirun gave him a stern look that shot through his golden visor.

Trirun sighed. "Sometimes I wish you could take that helmet of yours off so I can see the real Weavel. You're just bent up about that new armor of yours, aren't you?"

Weavel ignored the question, stepping forward to Trirun. Indeed, his armor was quite new. Only his golden visor and ponytail remained from the last iteration. His green suit had been upgraded to a sleek, purple set that was much more streamlined and close-fitting. From his shoulders arose small horns, from his legs flared spines, giving the suit an oddly organic, yet ancient look despite its glaringly obvious technologically sound condition. Even his arm scythe had been upgraded: it's new transformation was pure white, jagged, and was mirrored by a tougher and more heavily armorer right glove and arm. If he couldn't cut through someone, he could definitely punch them into oblivion.

"It is better than your old armor, don't tell yourself that it is not," Trirun continued.

"My problem is not with the armor, it's with the mission," Weavel said.

"And what is wrong with the mission?" Trirun asked with a smirk.

"I'm honestly tired of your mannerisms. You're the one behind all of this, and you know how Ridley wants it done. You and I both know that there is no need for an entire squadron for a mission that does not need one!"

"Relax Weavel," said Trirun. "There are reasons for everything."

Weavel stepped forward, getting right into the face of the Superior. Trirun's breath fogged Weavel's visor. "Please, tell me the reason then."

Trirun grunted and stepped backward. He then made his way behind his desk and sat at his chair. Weavel, however, maintained his position, clenching his fists.

"Weavel, you're a soldier. You are not one of the people that is behind our strategies, and with good reason. This is not who you are. The simple fact of the matter is that we are going to lose soldiers on this mission. Most likely, the squadron you leave this ship with will only return with less than half of its members, if we're lucky. Sending you by yourself is asking for you to never to return. We need you to return alive, even at the cost of your fellow men."

"It's atrocious that you can sit here and tell me that. You've trained many of them."

"And I've trained you. We cannot afford to lose you as we rebuild our empire. That is why you will not be handling the dirtiest of the work. You are being sent to make sure everything goes according to plan, and if it does not, then you are there to correct it," Trirun said.

"And you don't mind losing these fellow soldiers?"

"You will not get sympathy from me, General," Trirun said. "I do not want to send anyone to die. But when a mission calls for it, I have to abide. So do they. Unfortunate, maybe, but necessary? Absolutely. And you know a thing or two about sacrifices, don't you?"

The room fell silent.


End file.
